New Beginnings
by Sassiersphinx81
Summary: Ten years after what they thought was the end, the past comes back for a new surprise and new dangers. Sequel to Reawakening.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: New Beginnings**

**Ezio**

"You wanna what?" Jenna looked at me with murder in her blue eyes.

I looked at her with a bored expression. "You know it has to be done. We have not heard from him in six years. All I know is that he has been causing trouble in the north. He has to be stopped, or he will expose us all."

Altair had been on a rampage now for ten years. He said his goal was to take out everyone that had contributed to the death of Alanna. Come hell or high water, they would all pay the price like she had. They would die from his blade. I tried to talk him down, but once the man had something in his head, he was like a pit bull. He would not release until his prey was dead. That was what made him an excellent assassin, but now, it could potentially bring everything down around our ears.

"Ezio, this is insane! Even you can't get him to stop. You tried ten years ago. He is going to do what he wants to do, when he wants to do it." She threw her hands in the air and turned her back to me. "I think you are insane."

She walked away, and all I could do is sigh, and hang my head. She was going to make my life a living hell. Well, here I am now. Stuck between a rock and a hard place. If I went after Altair, Jenna was going to make sure I regretted it, but if I stayed here with her, the damned fool would destroy what I had been working on to cover up.

"Jenna wait!" I called out to my wife. I prayed to anyone that was listening to protect me from her rage. "He has to be stopped, and I have to do this, but I will not be doing this alone. Dawson has been trying to keep tabs on him. They have been working together. He has been playing Altair's sniper on a few cases."

She turned and her eyes were slits. "You have been working on this behind my back, haven't you?"

Oh shit, I was going to get killed. Well, not really, but it was going to come down to me sleeping on the couch or in the guest room. Hanging my head, I sighed. "Yes. I did not want to get you involved. You have enough on your plate with the kids and your business. I did not want to drag you down into this."

"Damn it Ezio. You know I am worried about him as well. Ever since that night he has been not right. I told you that then. If you had listened to me then, this may have been prevented. You are really asking for it now." She walked back over to me. "Fine, go find him. Keep this as quiet has you can."

A smile broke out on my face. "You are the best thing in my life, Jenna." I gave her a kiss. "I will make this up to you."

"Uh huh, you had better. Now, get going or I will do it." She smiled back and shook her head.

**Rebecca**

"Computer Anonymous, this is Becca, how may I help you?" I answered the phone.

'Hi, I was wondering if you fixed all laptops.' The woman on the other line asked.

I chuckled. There was not a computer out there that I could not fix. "Sure do. I can fix anything. Do you know what's wrong with it?"

There was a pause on the line. 'I don't know what is wrong with it. I don't really know much about it.' She chuckled a bit.

I laughed along with her. "If you would like, you can bring it in, and I will take a look at it. Do you know where we are located?"

'Yes. I will be sending my daughter. When would you like her to come down?'

"I will be here all day. Anytime will be fine, and have her ask for Becca." I leaned against the counter and looked out the window at the people that passed.

'Thank you Becca. I will have her come down when she runs to the store for me. Have a good day.'

"You too ma'am. Bye." I hung up the phone and watched Shaun walk in the front door. He held up a cup from the smoothie shop down the way. "Now how did you know I was craving one of those?"

"You are usually in here all day. You do not leave and when you do, you head home and sleep. When Dawson is out of town, you don't do anything but work." He sat the cup on the counter and looked at me. "You need a hobby besides fixing that damn chair."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "Whatever. Anyway, what brings you to town?"

Since our small stint in Montana, we had all gone our separate ways. Jenna and Ezio got married and moved to California where Jenna opened her own auto repair shop. I moved down south in Colorado, and opened a computer repair store. Dawson ran the local gun shop and firing range. There was not one person that could match him in sharp shooting. Of course he could not tell anyone that he was a sniper in the military.

Shaun had finally found the woman for him. Kimberly was a professor at Berkeley, and also an undercover assassin. So at least they were on the same wavelength with each other. Then there was Altair. He had gone off the deep end since that night ten years ago. He had taken to killing anyone that worked for Abstergo, or had any connection to the Templars.

Desmond was a bit different. Since we could not really go near anyone we once knew, he lived on the fringes of society. He had stayed the longest at the ranch. Now, he drifted from town to town, gathering information for us.

Tom disappeared shortly after a split. No one had heard from him in many years. I had always wondered where he had gone.

"I actually was hoping to talk to that husband of yours. I have been working on a piece on the military and I wanted his input." He pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

I took a sip from the cup and sighed happily. He still knew my favorite flavor. "He is up north right now. Working on something for Ezio. That's all they would tell me. He should be back in a few days. Now, if you want to talk to me, if will have to follow me to the back. I have to finish this netbook before my client gets here later."

He nodded and followed me back to my work area. Looking around, he shook his head and took a seat in the vacant chair. "Have enough spare parts in here?"

I sat down at the bench and picked up the small screwdriver. "Nope, and never will. Most of these a busted in one form or another. I really need to clean this place up. Dawson normally does that, but he has been gone for a week now."

Taking the small screen, I carefully slipped the ribbon wire into the fastener on the motherboard and slid the small lock into place. Shaun watched me as I began to put it back together. "Isn't these small repairs beneath you? Bloody hell Rebecca, you built the Animus. You are better than this."

Stopping what I was doing, I looked back at him. "I can't build Animus' for the rest of my life, Shaun. Besides, I am lying low. If I did anything like that, it would draw the wrong type of attention. I do not need that."

All he did was shrug and sit back in the chair. I continued with my repairs. Of course, when I began to put the cover back together, the door rang, letting me know someone had come in. "Hey Shaun, will you go help them? I will be done in like five minutes."

"Sure, but you owe me for this. You know how I am with people." He stood and walked out front.

I sat there and put a few more screws in. I was almost done when he called for me. "Becca, I think you need to get out here."

"In a minute, I am almost done." Damn that man and his hatred for normal people.

"No, I think you need to come here now."

Sighing, I placed the screwdriver down and stood up. "This had better be good." Walking out to the front, I looked at the man that I wanted to throttle. "What is going on?"

He pointed to the woman that was looking at the iPads. "Ma'am?"

The woman turned around and smiled at me. My brain stopped working. My voice left me. A ghost had walked into my store. Gray eyes smiled at me, and a tan hand pushed a stray piece of chocolate hair behind her ear. "Are you Becca?" I nodded. "My mother called and told me to bring this down to you. It quit working yesterday."

"Alanna?" The name slipped from my lips like a whisper. No, the building blew up with her in it. She was dead. This could not be her.

She raised an eyebrow. "You look familiar. Do I know you? And who is Alanna?"

**Altair**

"Really? You can't be serious." Dawson's eyebrows shot up into his hairline when I told him my plan.

A sadistic smile spread across my face. "Oh I am dead serious. I am going to take them all out at that party."

His hand grabbed my arm. "Not everyone there are Templars, Altair. You can't do that. That is insane."

I let the smile say on my face, but my voice took a hard edge. "Not everyone they have killed was assassins. They will pay for every life they have ever taken. Every child they have made orphans. Every life they have destroyed. They will pay for their crimes."

Releasing my arm, he stepped back from me. "You cannot do that. That is mass homicide. You are supposed to protect the innocent, not kill them. I'm sorry, but this is one thing I cannot help you with. You are on your own."

Before I could say anything, his phone went off. Pulling it from his pocket, he answered it. "Yes Becca?"

I stepped away from him. I did not want to listen to his conversation with his wife. My own was dead. My first for nearly a thousand years and my second, a little over ten. They were the reason I was doing what I was doing. I would kill all that alined themselves with Abstergo.

"What!" Dawson's voice reached a high pitch causing me to look at him, eyebrow raised and a question in my eye.

He looked at me, eyes wide and face paling. "Becca, are you sure? Yeah, yeah, I'll bring him. I said I would, didn't I? If I have to hog tie him and drag him behind the truck I will have him there. I will see you in a few hours. Love you too, bye." He hung up the phone, hands shaking and slightly panting. "We need to get down to Becca. There is a slight emergency."

I nodded. "Go on then. I can handle this myself."

He shook his head, and sighed. "No, you need to come too. It involves you as well. Hell, it involves everyone."

I did not like the sound of that. "Alright, spill. What is going on? And I want all of it."

"I… I can't say anything until we get there. We just need to go, like now." Dawson grabbed his bag and began to throw clothes into the bag. "Do you know how to get a hold of Desmond?"

Following his lead, I began to pack. "Yeah, I will call him on the road. You owe me for this. On the four hour drive, you had better tell me what is going on."

"I will, I promise."

/*/*/*/*/*/*

Well, Dawson filling me in did not happen because we ended up taking different cars. I refused to leave the Mustang and he would not leave his truck. I had made the call to Desmond and told him to meet up with us. He was actually on his way to meet up with Ezio and Jenna, but would divert to Colorado. He would call Ezio and tell him to meet us.

We showed up four hours later, and I was tired. All I wanted to was sleep and plot my next mission. Since the last one was interrupted by this, there was much work to be done. I had many things to do and a long life to do it. Tearing apart a company took a lot out of you.

Walking in behind Dawson, I saw Shaun and Rebecca standing behind the counter with Ezio and Desmond. "Well you guys made it here fast." I commented as I removed the dark shades from my face.

They looked up at me. "Wow, you actually came. I am in shock." Ezio smiled at me.

"Yeah, don't be so surprised." I frowned and looked around. "So, what is the big emergency that you had to have all of us here?"

"Follow me to the back. I have something on the cameras that you all have to see." Rebecca waved us towards the back of her small shop.

Everyone followed, and I trailed behind. I did not want to be here. I wanted to be on my own and away from the group. It was safer that way. For me and for them. They wanted normal lives. There was no normal for me. There never would be.

Rebecca sat down at the main computer and began to type on the keyboard. "Now, what I am about to show you may come as a shock, but I needed a few second opinions."

I looked at the screen. A woman walked on and Rebecca paused it when her face was clear. My heart dropped, but sped up at the same time. On the small screen was a face that haunted my dreams and my waking thoughts. The reason I did what I did for so long. The reason for my revenge. Alanna smiled back. She was alive.

"Altair, is that really her?" I heard someone say.

Blinking my eyes, I looked at the group. Their eyes were on me. "Where is she?" I focused my gaze on Rebecca.

"I have the address of where she is staying, but there is a problem." She pushed her dark hair out of her face.

"And what problem is there? That is Alanna. I want to see her. I thought she was dead. Why did she not come back?" I wanted answers.

"She doesn't remember anything, Altair. She does not know her name, or who she is. I let her go, and called you guys. I wanted to know if that was her or someone that looked just like her. Are you sure that is her?" She looked at me.

I glanced back at the computer screen. "The scar on her right cheek. It's small, but you can see it. She got that her first day of training. One of the younger novices were not thrilled in training with a woman, so he cut her." I knew one of other scars she had. The one on her back and abdomen. "She has another scar on her stomach and back from when she was ran through. Now give me the address. I want to go see her."

Ezio's hand appeared on my shoulder. "I do not think that is wise. If she does not know who we are, or even who she is, this is a delicate situation. You must proceed this caution. You can not barrel your way into this."

I closed my eyes and breathed in, then let the breath out slowly. "I just want to make sure. I have to see her."

**I have finally started working on the sequel of Reawakening. I have been trying to work on this for month now, but between moving and getting enrolled in college, I have not had much free time. Now that I am done with enrollment and the move is done, I can sit down and get some of these ideas out of my head. **

**My writing style may have changed a bit. I have been working on it, but you may still find some errors. Sorry about that. Anyway, enjoy and tell me what you think. Later!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Meetings**

**Altair**

I waited until the cover of night to check out the address that Becca had given me. I could have waited a few days until she came back to get the laptop, but I could not. I had to know now. Ezio sat in the passenger seat while Desmond sat in the back. We each were wearing all black and watched the house.

"I could think of a few other ways to do this besides looking like peeping toms and stalkers." Ezio grumbled as he slouched in the seat.

I sat the binoculars down and turned to him. "Then go back. I could have done this by myself, but you two insisted on coming."I was not going to listen to his grumbling and whining. I had heard enough of it over the years.

Desmond rested his arms on the back of the seat and laid his chin on them. "Hey, here's an idea. Walk up to the front door, and ring the doorbell. Then when someone comes to the door, ask to see her. That way you don't freak anyone out and we won't get into trouble for scaring the neighbors."

I turned around and looked at him. The boy was really annoying. "And what do I say to to her. 'Hey, I know you don't remember me, but you are a part of a group of assassins that are immortal, and we have thought you dead for ten years. Oh, by the way, we are married and I want you to come back with me.' Oh yeah, that wouldn't freak her out. Not at all." I rolled my eyes at him. "You are an idiot."

Ezio chuckled a bit. "You are the idiot, Altair. All you have to do is walk up to the door, ring the bell and ask for her. Tell her she looked familiar. See if she remembers anything."

"I don't even think so." I shook my head.

"Uh guys. I think the choice has been taken from us, because here she comes now." Desmond's hand shot up and pointed out the side window.

Alanna walked up to the window and knocked on it. "Roll down the window right now."

I complied and looked at her. "Can I help you?"

She glared at me, gray eyes narrowed and hands on her hips. "What in the world are you three doing out here? You have been sitting here for over an hour, not moving and honestly, it is creeping my mother out. I want you to leave."

"Your mother?" What in the world was going on?

She nodded. "Yes, my mother. Well, adopted mother. Now, either tell me what you want, or get the hell out of here."

I cleared my throat. "May I get out of the car and talk to you?"

She blinked in surprised. Her arms dropped to her side and she stepped back. "Uh sure, I guess. But don't try anything stupid. I know how to defend myself."

I chuckled a bit. "I don't doubt that you do." Opening the car door, I slowly stepped from the car and closed the door. "Ezio, why don't you head on back. I think I will walk back."

"You sure? It's a distance." The Italian slid over into the driver's seat.

"I'm sure." I stepped from the car. "Get going. I will fill you in later."

Ezio started up the car and pulled away, leaving me there with Alanna.

**Alanna**

I watched the blue car pull away, leaving the man that had gotten out with me. I didn't know why he stayed, but I wanted to know. "So, why did you stay?"

He turned his eyes on me. From the light of the street lamp, I could tell they were a golden color. Something about this man was familiar, but I could not place it. It was like trying to remember a dream in the middle of the day. It was as if I knew him, but from another life.

"May I ask your name?" He placed his hands in his pocket and watched me.

"I..I don't know my real name. When I was found, I had no memories of my past. My mother, she called me Anna. It was her mother's name." I wrapped my arms around my waist, and cast my eyes down to the ground. I had never told another that. I did not like telling people that I did not know who I was, or where I came from.

"I am sorry to hear that. I am Altair." He held out his hand.

I looked up at him, and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, and now, are you going to tell me what you were doing out here."

He retracted his hand and rubbed the back of his neck. "If I told you I knew you, would you think I was making it up?"

I blinked at him. He knew me. "Is that why you are here? Because you know me?" He nodded. "How did you find me?"

"Becca. She owns the computer store you were at this morning. When you left, she called and had me come down. When I saw the security footage, I had to be sure that it was you." His eyes never left my face. "I have missed you. More than you know."

I stepped back from him. "If you know me so well, tell me something that I would know right now."

A small smile graced his lips, causing the scar that he had on them to stretch and stand out. "You have a scar on your stomach and one on your back to match. I was there when you got them."

My hand automatically went to the scar he was talking about. I had wondered how I got them, but I could not remember. "Okay, so you do know me. What is my real name?"

"Alanna Isabella La'Ahad."

I repeated the name to myself, to see if it would trigger anything, but it didn't. I was not surprised. I had no memories in so long that I had all but given up on ever getting them back. I laughed and he cocked an eyebrow. "I'm sorry. You must think I have lost my mind. It's just that, I had all but given up on learning anything about myself. It was to the point that I just did not care. Then you come here tonight because I crashed the laptop and had to take it in to be fixed."

I smiled at him. "Maybe this is fate. So tell me Altair, are you going to me my knight in shining armor and help me remember who I used to be?"

He nodded. "If that is what you want me to be, then I shall be that."

Life just got a bit more interesting.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

I invited Altair in for coffee, but he declined, saying he had to get back to the others. I asked him to return for me tomorrow. I wanted to know more about him and what I used to be. I know I was different. I have known that for awhile. The dreams, the nightmares, the reflexes. I could do things normal people could not do, but had no idea why. I knew about guns and swords, how to use them. I could defend myself against a mugger, but had no idea who I truly was. It was a difficult thing to handle.

Smiling, I walked into the house, shutting the door behind me. My mother, well the woman that took me in, Kate, walked from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel. "You seem to be in a good mood for chasing someone away from the front of the house. You did not hurt them, did you?" There was concern in her eyes.

I shook my head no, and walked over to her. Wrapping my arms around her, I gave her a squeeze. "I didn't hurt anyone. I have a good story for you, Mom." I pulled her over to the couch and told her what had happened.

"So, your name is Alanna La'Ahad. That is Arabic. Maybe you hail from there. I could do some research if you would like. Would you like me to start calling you Alanna?" Kate took my hand into hers.

I shook my head. "No, not yet. That name really means nothing to me. I do not know who that is. Maybe one day, but not today, alright? It still seems strange that I now know my real name." Looking down at our intertwined hands, I thought back on the time I had been here and with her. She took me in when I had no one. Gave me a name and a home. Made me part of her family. I would always be grateful to her. Til the day I died, I would always be thankful.

"Well then, if you are going to meet with this man tomorrow, you should get some sleep." She took her hands from mine and smiled at me.

"Okay. I will see you in the morning. We are still going out for breakfast right?" I walked towards the stairs.

"Yes." I nodded and headed up the stairs when she spoke again. "So, is he cute at least?"

I thought about him, and let a small smile spread across my lips. "I think so, but it was dark and not much light. I will give you a full report tomorrow when I see him again."

Twisting, screaming, burning. Same as every night, but so much more. I woke up sweating and gasping for breath. The nightmare was so real. Altair was there and I had stabbed him. They were getting more vivid and scarier. It was like I was there in battles and fights that were old. Altair was there in some and another man. I did not know his name, but he seemed like a brother. Others came wan went, depending on the fight. How old was I? How many lives were locked in my head wanting to come out? What was stopping me from remembering?

Grabbing the nearest thing to me, I wiped my face with the shirt I had worn yesterday. They were getting worse. It was like the gates of my mind were being battered and barely containing the flood of memories that lay behind. I wanted it to break. I wished for it to break. Give me my life back, but yet again, my pleas go unanswered and another day dawns.

Throwing the shirt in frustration, it landed in a heap near the window. "Why do they not answer? Why must I be cursed in this life?" I whispered as I hung my head, letting the tears fall onto the covers that was bunched at my waist.

It was always the same. The nightmares would haunt me until mid-morning when the daylight sun chased the darkness from my mind. I would begin to feel better after that time. The tears were always there after the nightmares. I would be lying if I said they did not scare me. I wanted to be normal. I wanted to have a life and not be afraid of the world that lay outside the front door.

"Anna, are you up yet?" Kate called from the bottom of the stairs.

Breakfast at the diner. I nearly forgot. I seemed to be doing that a lot in my life. I crawled from the bed, and walked over to the door. "Yes Mom, I'm up. I will be ready shortly."

"Okay, I asked Maggie to go with us, if that is alright? Her granddaughter went home last night and she has no one there with her now. I thought I was a nice thing to do."

"I like Mrs. Waters. She is always so nice to me. Let me get a shower and I will be ready, alright?" I walked back in my room without a response.

I went through my drawers and picked a cute sundress with my black boots. Laying them on the bed, I went over to bathroom.

**Ezio**

"Yeah, it's her." I held the phone between my shoulder and cheek while I made breakfast. Altair and I were the only ones up, so that was who I was cooking for. The man still could not cook. I guess the old saying was true. You can't teach old dogs new tricks. Sometimes I was surprised he was not skinny and malnourished, but hey, that's why they make fast food for people like him.

'Have you talked to her yet?' Jenna yawned into the phone. She had told me Marcus, our three year old son, stayed up half the night. I was his favorite person.

"No not yet. Altair talked to her for awhile last night, but did not tell her anything besides her name. She still wants to go by the name she was given, which I understand. I mean, she had not been Alanna in many years. It will take time." The eggs were nearly done and the toast had just popped.

She chuckled over the phone before another yawn overtook her. 'Are you sure you have never been a psychologist? You play one quite well.'

I laughed along with her. "I should, shouldn't I? Maybe I will get that degree sometime, but I have other things to worry about besides that. Now, how is everything else?"

'Fine, but I am going to let you go. I still have at least a few more hours to sleep before Marcus decides to wake back up. I will call you later.' I could tell sleep was claiming her once more from the way her speech began to slow.

"Have a good nap, and I will call you with an update when I get it." I plated the eggs and buttered the toast and hung up the phone after our goodbyes.

Turning to look at the table, I laughed at what I saw. Altair's head was laying on the table, light snores coming from his sleeping form. Sitting the plate in front of him, I nudged him. "Wake up. Your food is going to get cold."

His head slowly lifted. "I wasn't asleep." He mumbled and looked at the food in front of him. Eyelids drooping, his head began to tilt back towards the plate.

"Hey!" I raised my voice a bit, causing him to jump slightly, and me to laugh harder. "How late were you up?"

"Huh?" He turned his half open eyes on me. They were bloodshot and dark half moon bags lay under the amber orbs.

I repeated my question to him. I could tell the gears were beginning to turn, but it was not firing on all cylinders, if you know what I mean. "You haven't slept, have you?"

He shook his head no. "Not really. My mind would not stop running. All I could think about was that last moment back at Abstergo. If I had done something to stop her, she would still be fine. She would have her memories."

I sighed and forked some egg into my mouth. "You know there was nothing that could have been done. She was set in her ways and there was nothing that was going to change that. Maybe this is something she needed. It has kept her from Abstergo for this long."

His eyes began to droop once more. I just shook my head as I watched him try to eat almost completely asleep. No words were spoken as we finished our meal. Once his plate was empty, he stood and walked over to the bed and fell asleep. We were sharing a room at the local motel. I found one that had a kitchenette. There was no way I was living on fast food while I was here. Desmond was sleeping on the floor. He said he was going to get his own room today, but I told him don't worry about it. The boy had changed in his own exile. He was quieter, more reserved. He did not talk much, and did not come around everyone. He was turning into what Altair used to be, and that scared me more than anything. I could not deal with another brooding asshole. Now, the older had changed in his years. He had become more outspoken, but he did not like to come around because we had the one thing he did not. Hopefully having Alanna back in his life would help him.

"I smell food. Any left?" Desmond raised his head from his small nest and looked at me with those big puppy dog eyes. The only thing the boy had not lost.

"Bacon. Get up and I will fix you some eggs before I make another food run." I stood, topped off my coffee and set out to make more eggs for him.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

The grocery store was a few blocks from the motel. I would have walked, but I knew I would be getting at least a few days worth of food. I was not about to carry it back. Parking the small car I had brought was no big deal. It was nothing impressive. Not like the Mustang or Desmond's Ducati. Both of them loved flashy rides. I went for practicality.

"Hello again."

I turned around to see Alanna walking up with an older woman. "Ciao Bella. Beautiful day, is it not?" I smiled at both of them, dipping into my Italian. Let's see what she remembered on her own.

"Lei sa italiano?" Her eyebrows shot up. "Io so italiano!"

I chuckled. "Yes you do. You also speak many other languages. I will let you learn that on your own."

"I know you and not from last night. This so frustrating!" Her face went scarlet and she cover ed it with her hands. "I'm sorry. I should not be talking this way. I guess we should start by introducing ourselves again. I am Anna, or as you knew me, Alanna."

"I am Eric Masterson." I was not about to say my real name in front of the woman that was with her. I did knot know her, and therefore would not say my real name.

Alanna nodded. "Quale è il tuo vero nome?"

"Later." The girl was catching on, and that was scary. Maybe there was hope for her yet.

"Okay." She smiled and it was strange to see her do that. She so rarely did that in the past, that this new Alanna was like a child in some ways. Looking around, she asked."Where is Altair?"

So, he gave his real name. That was so unlike him. "Asleep. He stayed up all night. He doesn't sleep much."

"Oh." I heard the disappointment in her voice. Even with no memories, she was still drawn to him.

I placed a hand on her shoulder. "I am sure he will come to see you later."

**Quale è il tuo vero nome? - What is your real name?**

**Ciao bella – Hello beautiful**

**Lei sa italiano?- You know Italian?**

**Io so italiano!- I know Italian!**

**The first two chapters were really to reintroduce everyone. The next chapter the fun will really begin. Thank you for reading.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Altair**

"Ugh." I rolled over to my other side, and cracked open my eyes. Desmond sat on the bed, shoving chips in his mouth while watching something on the television.

He heard the grunt that escaped my lips, and turned his eyes on me. "Hey, welcome to the living, old man. Thought you were going to sleep a few days. You really need to stop burning the candle at both ends. It will be the death of you."

I ran my hand down my face and looked at the boy. "If only. That way I could escape you."

He laid his hand over his heart and faked being wounded. "Oh, you hurt me with your words. And here I thought you were getting to like me."

Rolling my eyes heavenward, I rolled over onto my back. "I like you, boy. Like a rash. A really bad poison ivy rash. The one that spreads all over your body and there is no relief."

"Ouch. Now that one really did hurt. You are an asshole." The boy was finally catching on.

"It's not that I hate you. I hate everyone. It's nothing personal. Do not take it that way." Looking at the ceiling, I knew there was something I had to get up and do. "What time is it?"

"Half past six." I heard the chips go back in his mouth.

"What!" I shot out of the bed like a bullet from a gun. "I was supposed to go see Alanna today!"

The boy began to laugh, hard, as I flew round the room, grabbing clothes. His laughter became gasps as I tripped over my boots. "You are hilarious when you are in a hurry. By the way, it's only 3:26. You are fine."

I stopped dead in my tracks, and slowly turned to look at Desmond. "What?" Oh, he was so going to get hurt.

His chocolate eyes widened. "I am dead, aren't I?" I nodded, a small sadistic smile spread across my lips. "Oh shit!" He tried to scramble off the bed, but I launched myself at him, catching his ankle and pulling him towards the end of the bed.

We were too busy wrestling around that we did not hear Ezio enter the room. "I leave you two by yourselves for a little bit, and you attempt to destroy the room and yourselves."

I looked up from my place on Desmond's back. The Italian had his arms crossed over his chest, and tapping his foot. The boy spoke before I could. "It was his fault, blame him. I just told him the time when he asked."

Smacking him in the back of the head, I got to my feet. "Yeah, he told me the wrong time, and then began to laugh when I was rushing around."

"Don't really care. Grow up and act your ages." He sat down at the small table and began to read the paper that had been tucked under his arm.

"Oh, he supposed to walk around with a walker and I am to do the same thing you are doing?" Desmond flipped over on his side, and propped his head up on his hand.

That got a laugh from Ezio and a glare from me. "Watch your mouth, boy."

"Get over yourself, old man." He just grinned some more.

"I am getting in the shower." Grabbing my clothes, I headed for the small bathroom and slammed the door.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

A bit later, I walked out, a towel draped around my shoulders. Ezio was now sitting on the bed next to Desmond. They both were shoving chips in their mouths. "What in the hell are you two watching?"

"College hoops. Nothing else on." The older one replied, eyes not leaving the screen.

"Jeeze." I laid the towel over the back of the chair and pulled the black shirt over my head. "Get a life, and do something."

Ezio just laughed at me. "I believe I was saying the same thing to you a few years ago."

I was about to reply when my phone went off. I looked at the caller ID and saw it was my boss. I still did bounty hunter work at Allen Turner. Ten years ago, we all said we were going to become dead to the world, but that did not happen. Ezio made a new life as Eric Masterson, but I went back to being Allen, the bounty hunter. It was the only thing I knew and I liked doing it. A least we had given Abstergo a good blow, and they would not come after me.

"Hello?"

'Allen, where the hell are you? I have a stack of hunts here with your name on it, and you are gone.' Jackson Kelson yelled into the phone, causing me to remove the damn thing from my ear.

"Jackson, calm down. I had something I had to take care of. You know how I work. I am freelance and you know that." Sitting down in the chair, I pulled my boots on and began to lace them up.

'I know, but Tim and Matt are idiots.' The other two guys that worked for him. They were good, but I was better. I had been doing it for longer than all of them combined.

"Look, give me a few days and I will be there. I just have to take care of this right now." The man was sometimes worse than me when I got an idea in my head.

'Fine, but I am going to call you Friday for a report. I hope you are on your way to St. Louis then.'

"Whatever. Talk to you on Friday." I hung up the phone and sighed. Sometimes I wonder why I had gone back to him in the first place. "Alright, I am heading out. See you two later."

They nodded, but did not speak. I just shook my head and walked out the door. I did not understand them sometimes, but I never took the time to learn either. It was a vicious cycle with us.

The Mustang was sitting in the same place I had left it the night before. I had gone back after the mission ten years ago and retrieved it from my garage. I was not about to leave it there. Once Alanna remembered everything, she would kill me for the miles I had put on it. I also had to replace the windows in it when I got into a firefight with a few thugs a couple years ago. I would not tell her that.

Firing up the old car, the motor purred. I placed the shifter into reverse and backed out of the parking spot.

**Alanna**

Relaxing was not one of my strong suits. Actually, I sucked at it. It was like I was always a bundle of energy at all given times, and there were not enough things for me to do to get rid of all of it. Sometimes it was maddening.

"Anna, you really need to calm down. He will come over. You just have to have some faith child." Kate smiled at me as she walked through the living room and picked up the crossword puzzle she had been doing for days. "Besides, you are going to wear a rut in the carpet."

"It's almost five. What if he does not come? Then I have lost the one link to my past. I need to know who I am, Mom. I want to know." I flopped down on the couch and buried my face in my hands.

For almost a year, I wandered around not knowing who I was, or where I came from. I was afraid to go to the police for some reason, and hospitals. Riding on trains and stealing small sums of money from people, I made it here it here to Golden, Colorado. This was where I met Kate.

She had just left the store when three men cornered her and tried to rob her. I do not know how I knew, but I fought them off using a broom handle I had been using as a walking stick. When the cops arrived, Kate lied and said I was her daughter. She told me she could see the confusion in my eyes when they had asked me my name.

I confessed to her that I did not know who I was. I had been like this for almost a year. That was when she took me home with her and worked with me to find out who I really was. We did not learn much. Only that I could fight and I was not the most patient person.

"You will learn, Alanna, I promise."

My head shot up at the use of my real name. I was still strange to know it. I had Googled it last night, but there was not mention of the name La'Ahad anywhere. The only thing it meant was 'son of none.' Such a strange meaning to a name.

"Why did you call me Alanna?" I watched her.

She sat the book in her lap. "My dear, it is time you learned who you are. You must start using your real name."

"I'm scared. For so many years, I have been Anna, the amnesia woman you took in. Now, I know I am Alanna, but nothing else. I don't know if I am ready to remember." I hung my head, feeling tears gather in the corner of my gray eyes. I had wanted to know who I am since I came out of that hole, but now, I was so close...

Kate stood, walked over to me, and sat down. Her hand began to rub circles on my back. "What scares you about knowing?"

"What if I was someone that was not good? What if I did horrible things in my life? I don't want to be that type of person." The tears spilled out and dripped on the carpet in front of me.

Gathering me in her comforting arms, she kissed the top of my head. "If that is what you were, then you do not have to be that again. You are a new person, and be what you want to be. The past does not define you."

The words she spoke comforted me, but the tears still came. Why was I so frightened? "What if I have a family already?"

She chuckled and sat me up. Wiping the tears from my face, she poked me in the tip of my nose like a child, causing me to laugh. "Then I will have more people in my life. It does not matter who you were, I will always know you as the wonderful person who has helped me, and anyone that needed it. Think of this as being reborn. You are a new person. Never forget that."

Opening her arms, I fell into her embrace. She was right. It did not matter who I used to be. I was someone new, and I would always remember that. "Thank you Mom. You have always been there for me when I needed a comforting word."

"That's what I am here for." She patted my back.

Just before I said another word, the doorbell rang. I stood up and smoothed out the skirt I was wearing. "I'll get it." I walked over to the door and opened it. Altair stood there wearing a black t-shirt that fit him well, and a pair of worn blue jeans. "Hi." I smiled shyly at him, not really knowing what to say. There was something about him that made my heart skip a beat.

"Good evening. I hope I have not made you wait too long." He gave me a slight smile.

I played with the ended of my hair. "Uh, not really." I chuckled nervously.

"You do not have to be nervous around me, Alanna." He stuck his hands in his pockets.

I could feel my face turn scarlet. "I... I'm always nervous around new people. It's just how I am. I'm sorry." I diverted my eyes to the ground.

"Well, maybe we can change that. Would you like to go get something to eat?"

I looked up at him. He had not moved, and neither had I. "Uh sure. Thank you. Before we go, would you like to me my mother?"

He merely nodded. I turned and headed back into the house. Kate was still sitting on the couch, but she had grabbed her crossword book again. "So, you must be Altair. It is nice to finally meet you."

"A pleasure." He inclined his head.

"Alanna, will you run upstairs and grab my purse? I want to order a pizza, but I left it upstairs." She smiled at me.

"Sure." I nodded and walked up the stairs.

**Altair**

Alanna left the room, leaving me with her adopted mother. "I wanted her out of the room so I could have a word with you." She looked at me, green eyes neural.

"She will be back soon, so what would you like to say?" I stood there, hands in my pockets, not really knowing what to do. I had never really interacted with someone's mother. I mean, this woman was not related, but she had been watching over Alanna for several years now.

A sly smile came over her face, and she reached on the side of the couch. "Oh, she will be a bit." Then she held up a purse. "I knew where it was the whole time."

Oh, I was being to like this woman. "Okay, you have my attention."

"I want to talk to you about her. She is special to me. I have helped her become the woman she is now. If you, in any way, hurt her at any time, I will personally see that you leave this town without her. Then you will not like the other part." Her eyes narrowed.

"Ma'am, I wouldn't..." But she held up her hand.

"Let me finish." She stood and stepped in front of me. "I have cared for her and even though she is not my blood, she is in every sense, my daughter. Be good to her and I will be good to you. Now, what is your past relationship with my daughter?"

I knew it was going to come down to this. "Ma'am I would never hurt Alanna. I have been grieving for her. She was, well is my wife."

That got her attention. "She was your what?"

"My wife. We married a few months before the accident. I thought she was dead. I could not find her afterwards. That was ten years ago." This woman had a right to know. "I want her to remember who I am on her own. I will not push anything on her. If she remembers, she remembers. If not, then I will see if there is something still there in her heart. I do not want her to do something that she does not want to do." It was the truth. If she could not remember what we had, then I will let her live her life. I would not let her tie herself to me for the past that we once had. I was not always an asshole. I did have a heart when I wanted to and that was when Alanna was involved. I would go to the ends of the Earth for her. All she ever had to do was ask.

She nodded. "I believe you. I truly do. Now, since I have not told you my name, It is Kate and I would like you to not keep her out too late. We have a wedding to go to in the morning for one of my friend's son."

"I will have her back here by ten. Is that fine?" I would be on my best behavior. Easier said than done. I just hoped nothing happened that would set my temper off. You would think that after all these years I would be in better control of it, but no, I was not.

Kate smiled at me. "That is fine, and do not tell her about what we have talked about. I don't want her to know that I was in her business again."

That got a smile from me. "Your secret is safe with me."

**I know, I know. This chapter is kind of sappy, but I like sappy. I have been doing research on amnesia to make sure I get it right. Some people never remember everything and it can take years for it to come back to them. Trauma, head wounds, and the like can cause amnesia. It is very interesting. Anyway, there will be some action in the next chapter. I kind of like the playful banter Altair. He is a fun one to write. Alanna will also be meeting everyone else and who knows what can come from that. See ya later.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Alanna**

"_You will never leave me, will you?" I watched Altair through half lidded eyes. The décor of the room was very modern and so familiar._

"_I will always be here for you, Amato, until they release us from our curse." He kissed me soundly on my lips. My hand rested on his chest. I felt the fine hairs on his skin._

"_Then I shall stay by your side until you wish for me to leave." Laying my head on his chest, I felt the warm comfort of sleep begin to take me. "Until the end of time."_

I woke up in a cold sweat. It had been three days since I had gone to dinner with Altair. We did not talk about my past, but about what he did for a living and what I liked to do. It was a short list, but he listened anyway.

Since that night, the dreams had been coming in more frequency. I could not tell if they were dreams or memories. They woke me up, keeping me puzzled for hours. It was like my mind was remembering through my dreams, but once the light of day awoke me, I would forget once more.

"Alanna, are you awake?" Kate slowly opened my door.

I wiped the sleep from my eyes and nodded. "Yeah, I'm awake."

There was something in her eyes that I had never seen. I did not like it. "Mom, what's wrong?"

She wrung her hands. "There are some men downstairs that want to talk to you. They asked for you by name."

I pushed the blankets off my legs and slowly stood. "Who are they?"

"They say they are from Abstergo. What would a medical company want with you?" She paced across the room and back to the door.

I yawned and stretched. There was something about the name that invoked terror through me. "What do they want to ask me?" I did not want to go downstairs.

"They did not say. They just wanted to ask you a few questions." She reached for me and I walked into her outstretched arms.

"Mom, I don't want to go down there. I don't know what it is, but they scare me. Something the name that worry me. Is that strange?" I held on to her. I was worried. No, I was scared. I wanted to run, and run fast. I needed to talk to Altair.

She ran her hand through my hair. "Then I will tell them to come back later. You did not have to talk to them if you do not want to."

"Thank you." I whispered into her shoulder. Terror took my voice and fear gripped my heart. My past was coming back even if I wanted it to or not.

Kate laid a kiss on the top of my head, and let me go. She walked towards the door, then turned and looked at me. "Call him, and find out what is going on."

I nodded and sat down on my bed. Grabbing my phone from the nightstand, I dialed Altair's number. Another voice greeted my ears when it was answered. 'Hello?'

"Is Altair there?" My voice shook. I could not control it. I was frightened. I do not think I was ever this frightened in my life.

'Alanna, are you alright?' The man on the other line asked.

"I don't know. I really need to talk to Altair." I wanted to cry. I didn't know why, but I did.

'Hold on, I'll wake him up.' I heard him lay the phone down and I grabbed the small stuffed horse that was laying in the chair in front of me. I clutched it to my chest and held it there.

A moment later, Altair's sleep heavy voice came on the line. 'Alanna, are you there?'

"I'm…I'm here. I need you to come get me. There are men here. They say they are from Abstergo. God, what do they want with me?" My voice rose a few octives. I knew I was on the verge of a breakdown, but I did not care.

'Grab some clothes. I will meet you on the next street over. They will be watching the front of your house. You need to to go out the back and be quiet about it. I will explain everything when we get the hell out of town. Leave the phone behind. If they get the number, they can trace you by it.'

"What about my mom? What will they do to her?" I did not want to leave her behind.

'They just want you. She will be fine once I get you out of the city.' I heard him moving things around and the slid of a gun.

"Do you have a gun?" I hated guns. I hated holding them, looking at them, or even being by them. All they did was bring destruction.

'Yes, and it will be fine. I know how to use it. Now, meet me out there in twenty minutes.'

"Alright. I will see you then." He cut the connection, and I started packing a bag.

I was so busy packing that I did not hear my door open once more. "You are leaving?" Kate stood there, arms wrapped around her waist.

I turned to her, tears falling from my eyes once more. "I have to. They are after me. It has something to do with the past that I can not remember. I don't want to do this, Mom. I am so scared that this is bigger than me, or you."

"Oh honey." She rushed to me as the tears grew into sobs. The sobs escalated into a full on histerical fit. "Alanna, it will fine. You will be fine."

"I don't want to leave! Why couldn't my past stay that way. In the past." I sobbed louder. "I had a good life. I did not want this."

"Shush. You will be fine, and I will always be with you." She held me for a few minutes, just calming me and reasuring me everything will be fine. "Come on. Let's get you packed."

The last remaining items were thrown in my small bag. I had to pack light because I had to carry it through a few yards. When we were finished, Kate handed me the bag and smiled, but it was forced. "I love you, my dear."

"I love you too." I hugged her, and shouldered the bag. "I will try and let you know what is going on. If you have any problems, go see Becca. She might be able to get a message to me. She is a friend of Altair."

She nodded and followed me down the stairs. I walked to the back door, and sighed. This was my last time I would be in this house as me. I was going off into a new world. A world that I had been in before, and now, going back to without knowing what I was heading into.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

I looked out the car window as we headed down the highway. For seven years, I had never been out of Golden without Kate. Now, I was in a Mustang with Altair behind the wheel, and Desmond in the back seat. I did not know where we were heading, but I knew we were heading north.

"Where are we going?" I asked finally after three hours of driving.

"Montana. It's the only place we can go to hide. It was your place. There is a lot of land there that we can hide on." He sat back in the seat, and yawned.

Desmond sat up in the back. "You need me to take over for a bit?"

"Nope, I just need some coffee and a walk." He yawned again.

I took my eyes off the scenery and looked over at him. "I think you need to let him drive. I would prefer to not die today."

"You don't have to worry about that." He mumbled under his breath.

I heard it, and raised an eyebrow. "What was that? I do not want you to wreck the car with us in it."

"Alanna, if he says he's fine, then it's okay. We will just pull off on the next exit and get some coffee. Right old man?" Desmond smiled at Altair.

He nodded and yawned once more. I shook my head and leaned my head against the window. "So, anyone want to tell me why Abstergo was after me?"

Both men were silent. I sighed and closed my eyes. They refused to answer any of my questions that I had asked for the past three hours. I was no closer to knowing anything about these men than I was when they showed up at Kate's. I was not asking for my whole life history. I just wanted to know why they were after me now. Was I some woman that escaped them? An ex-employee that knew too much? Did they cause my problems? What was I to them? That was all I wanted to know.

I don't know how long I laid there against the window, but someone shook my shoulder. "Hey 'lanna, you want something from the gas station?"

I blinked my eyes at the sun filtering through the windshield. "Huh? Where are we?" I turned my head and looked into Desmond's chocolate eyes.

He smiled at me. "Just outside Douglas, Wyoming. It looked like a good place to stop and use the bathroom. You need to go?"

I nodded my head and sat up straight. "Yeah." I opened the car door and slide out into the bright sunlight. It was early afternoon. Now I wish I had grabbed my sunglasses, but that was not the first thing on my mind. "Where is Altair?"

"Inside already. He is addicted to coffee. That is all he drinks. Well, that and Monster energy drinks. I don't know how he can do it and still sleep." Desmond got out of the back seat.

I heard the joints crack and pop. I cringed at the sound. "I can sit in the back if you want. I am a lot smaller than you." I stretched out my shoulder from where I had fallen asleep with it against the window.

He smiled but shook his head no. "I think he would kill me. He wants you at his side."

"Desmond, will you please answer a question for me?" I needed answers. I knew it was Altair stopping him from answering anything. For some reason he did not want me to know certain things about my past.

He rubbed his neck. A nervous jesture. "Alanna, I can't. I was told that some things you have to remember on your own. That is the only way you will remember."

I could not take it anymore. "Fine, if you will not answer me, and he will not answer me, then I am getting the hell out of here. We are far enough away from Abstergo that they will not find me. I have some cash on me. I can get to Ashley's in Boulder. I will not stay here and be treated like a child." I reached in the open door and went for my bag, but Desmond grabbed my arm.

"Fine, I will answer one question, but do not tell him I told you anything. Tell him you remembered on your own. What do you want to know?" He sighed and hung his head.

"How do I know how to fight? I know how to kill a man with a staff and bare handed, but I can't even remember my own name. How is that?" I watched him. That was my one free question.

His eyes about came out of his head. "I can not answer that for you. I'm sorry. Ask something else. I can't explain that."

I glared at him. "No, answer it. You said anything. What are you guys hiding from me?"

"'lanna please, not that. I will answer anything else, but not that." His voice was pleading with me, but I would not back down from this.

"No, I want an answer. What was I?" I crossed my arms over my chest and waited for an answer.

A sigh escaped his lips. "You were an…" Then a hand clamped down on his shoulder causing both of us to jump.

"I told you about telling her things, Desmond. She has to remember on her own." Altair growled at him. He then turned his eagle eyes on me. "As for you, Alanna, quit trying to pry answers from the boy. If I catch you again, so help me, you will be gagged and thrown in the trunk for the remainder of the trip. Do I make myself clear?"

I glared back. I would not be treated like a child. "Crystal, but you can't hold all the cards, Altair. I will find out." I marched past him and inside.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Several hours later, we came upon a dusty driveway in the middle of nowhere. I looked out the windshield at the flat land that stretched out before me. He had said that at one time it had been mine. I had land? I wish I had known that years ago. I would have come here instead of riding the trains for as long as I did.

"Beautiful, isn't?" Desmond's voice was low in my left ear.

I nodded. "It is. I have lived for so long near the city I forgot what in the middle of nowhere looked like. I missed this from riding the rails. The stillness of the silence. It was so calming, and wonderful." I sighed happily and watched the fence posts go past the car. The scenery was amazing. I could lose myself in just watching everything. I wonder if I was like this before the accident that robbed me of who I was.

"Can I just ask one simple question?" I finally pulled my eyes from the horizon.

Altair's eyes flicked over at me then back on the gravel drive. "If I can, I will try, but if it is a complex answer, or you are trying to pry too much into you past, I will not. Do you understand?"

"Yes. It is simple. I just want to know if I am anything like I used to be." I kept my eyes on him.

"No, you are nothing like the Alanna I once knew. You are gentle to where she was harder, fierce. Your smile shows innocence that I have not seen in you in many years. Does that answer your question?" I did not look at me again.

That was not what I was hoping to hear. Had I been changed that much? Was I really nothing like I used to be? I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Thank you. That is all I want to know." I leaned against the window, the beauty of the landscape now lost on my gloomy mind.

"Alanna, are you alright? You went quiet." Desmond touched my shoulder.

I smiled back at him, but I don't think it reached my eyes. "Yeah yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking about a few things. Nothing to worry about."

His tanned face lit up with a smile of his own. "Okay. I just worry about you sometimes."

A growl was heard through the car. "She's fine, boy. Don't need to be worrying."

Desmond sat back, a frown replaced the bright smile he did have. I didn't know what was between the two men, but they did not get along like they should. Maybe I could get them to like each other, or die trying.

**Amato- beloved**

**Hopefully everything is okay with this chapter. I had a problem with my computer and I just glad I made a backup copy on my flash drive this morning. I will have another chapter done later, but it will not be posted until tomorrow. Enjoy and see you later.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Altair**

For a few weeks now, I had watched Alanna, with her childlike qualities, bring a life to the ranch that I had never seen. She was almost always smiling during the day, but at night, the darkness took over and all I heard was screaming from her room. She had nightmares. Horrible nightmares. She would never remember them all, but she would smile when she came out of her room in the morning. It did not seem to bother her, but it bothered the hell out of the rest of us.

Desmond said it was like his time before the Apple had created him anew. The nightmares that ate you alive from the inside out. He would cringe when he would hear the gut wrenching screams pierce the stillness of the night. I would grind my teeth and resist running upstairs to wake her. We all did. Ezio would usually go outside, away from the horrid sounds.

Sitting at the table, watching the sun make its way over the distant horizon, I thought about what we were going to do. Alanna's memories were not returning. She had not remembered a single thing out here in the place she once called her own. For the first time in my long life, I had no idea what I was going to do. I could not take her back to Golden, back to Kate. Abstergo had been there and would be back again to find her. In the condition her mind was in, she would not be able to stand up to them. I would protect her.

"Good morning Altair."

I turned in the direction of the person that spoke my name. Alanna stood in the doorway, smile on her lips and her chocolate hair spilling down her back. I managed a small smile in return. "Good morning to you. How was your night?"

She glides over to the coffee pot. "Interesting to say the least. I saw many new things in my dreams that I had never seen before. It was so real. Like I had lived back then." A chuckle escaped her full lips. "But that's insane. I am only in my late twenties, early thirties. I have heard of reliving past lives. Maybe that is what my dreams are."

It was coming to the time to reveal things to her. Should I start off that she is immortal? That she will never die? "Alanna, do you believe in living forever?"

Turning to look at me, she held the mug between her hands. "Why do you ask? You strike me as the practical sort. Being immortal is only in science fiction novels. There is no truth to it." She walked over to the table and sat down.

Well, that was not what I was looking for. Now, how do I break it to her that everything in this world is based off of a silver of truth. "Alanna, what I am about to tell you is going to come as a shock."

She held up her hand to silence me. "You told me that you did not want to reveal anything of my past, so that way I would remember it on my own."

I glared at her. "I thought you wanted to know about your past and where you came from."

She returned the glare with the same intensity. "Is the past really that important? That's what it is, the past. That was who I used to be. I am someone new. I am free, alive and no one is taking that from me, Grand Master. Not you, Ezio, or even Desmond. _Va te faire foutre._" Getting quickly to her feet, she went to leave.

Her last words echoed in my brain for a minute before I caught it. _'I am free, alive and no one is taking that from me, Grand Master__.'_ She had not called me that in many years. Not since Renaissance Italy. "Alanna wait!" I bolted from my chair and ran after her. "Wait a minute."

She stopped at the bottom of the stairs. "What do you want?" She did not turn to look at me.

"What did you call me? Back there in the kitchen? What did you call me?" I had to hear it again from her lips. Just make sure I was not hearing things that I wanted to hear.

"Grand Master. I called you Grand Master…" She paused in mid-sentence. "That's what I used to call you. A long time ago." She spun around and looked at me, eyes wide. "I remembered something."

A smile broke out on my face and I scooped her into a hug. "You did, and without any of us telling you anything."

A giggle escaped her lips as she wrapped her arms around my neck. "I did. Now, all I have to do is remember more than that."

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

We spent the remainder of the day trying to coax more memories from her jumbled brain. No more would come, but her remembering that one little bit was a start. She had been floating on cloud nine for much of the day. It was nice to see her completely happy.

Twilight overtook the land as all of us sat on the front porch, watching the fireflies dance in the fields before us. It was a calm serenity that surprisingly, I was enjoying. Ezio had told us he was leaving the following day. He had not been away from Jenna and Marcus this long since the boy had been born. I could not blame him for wanting to go back. I had to get back to my job, but I did not want to leave Alanna here with Desmond. The boy would cave to anything she wanted. I had already seen that. He still followed her around like a puppy on a string.

"I am going to miss you, Ezio. You are going to have to bring your family up here sometime to see me." Alanna smiled at the Italian.

He chuckled. "I will, won't I. Hopefully you survive your time with these two. I have not attempted to kill them in many years."

Desmond shook his head. "You have never attempted to kill me. That has always been Altair. You just yell at me, and then send me to him."

She laughed and rested her hand on my arm. "Have we always been like this?"

"Most of the time, but there were many years that you were gone and we could not find you." Ezio leaned back in the chair, a yawn escaping his lips. "You were always better at getting lost in the crowd than any of us. A woman does not get looked at twice in…."

I nudged him with my elbow. He was about to tell her what she used to be. I raised an eyebrow at him, warning him. Alanna, unfortunately, caught that he was about to say something. "Okay, I am tired of you guys just hiding what I used to be. I want to know, like right now." She stood and faces us. "I'm a big girl. I can handle it. What the hell was I? A contract killer?"

"Something like that." Desmond hung his head. "Altair, it's time we tell her. She has to know since Abstergo is after her now."

I stood and glared at him. "No, we don't. We three are assassins. We can take care of this."

A hand collided with the back of my head. "I swear on everything holy in this world, if you do not start answering some questions, so help me, I will beat you all to a pulp and stake you out for the vultures to snack on."

I rubbed the sore spot I now had. "I have a solution for you. You said you can fight, right?" She nodded. "Then fight we shall. You best me at a fight, and I will tell you whatever you want to know. Do we have a deal?" She had not bested me since her training. I knew I was safe.

A sly smile broke out onto her face. "Are you sure about that? I am pretty good."

I stuck out my hand. "Do we have a deal?"

She looked at my hand and then at my face. Grabbing my outstretched hand, she firmly shook it. "You're on."

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

**Desmond**

I had never seen Altair and Alanna spar. They had always sparred with either Ezio or myself, never with each other. It was a treat to say the least. Altair, with his calculating mind, scared me as he stood there in the middle of the ring that was set up in the barn. Alanna, on the other hand, moved like a sleek jungle cat, confident in her own skin. I could now see how she was named _el cazador de la noche_, the night hunter. She was graceful in her movements.

Ezio and I stood outside the sparing ring, waiting for them to start. Altair was the first to speak. "We will be sparing barehanded. No cheap shots with the dirt, or anything underhanded. We will fight three rounds. The best two out of three wins. Any questions?"

Alanna let go of the leg she had been stretching out. "Yeah I have one for you. Are you ready to be brought down a few pegs?" She smiled at him.

"Let's just get this going." He stepped back and began to circle.

Alanna watched him and waited. It was the first time I had seen her do that. Normally when I spared with her, she would strike first, but with a different opponent, different tactic. She was calm and still. All I heard was the shuffling of Altair's feet in the softly packed dirt. Ezio sat beside me, intently watching the two eldest.

"I have always wanted to watch them beat the shit out of each other. They never would. Now, who do you think will come out on top?" Ezio leaned back in the chair he had drug in here. I wish I had thought about that. Now I was stuck standing the whole time.

I shook my head. "Don't know. I have no clue what Alanna can remember. If she is half as deadly as she was the last time we sparred, I am putting my money on her to win. But, Altair had been doing this since he was a child. He seems to be able to read peoples' moves."

He smiled. "I am going to say he will put her down. Gently though. He would never really hurt her."

I turned my attention back onto the two in the ring. I had missed who threw the first punch, but they were now at it. Altair blocked a punch from Alanna, and grabbed her arm. She swiped a leg at him, and knocked him of balance, causing him to release the hold he had on her arm.

Recovering quickly, he lunged at her, and knocked her to the ground, effectively pinning her to the ground. "I win."

I chuckled at the string of curse words that came from her mouth. She was taking the lose very badly. "Let's just go again. You won't get lucky again."

They began to circle each other once again. Watching and waiting for the perfect time to strike. It was as if the old Alanna was right under the surface, waiting for the right time to come out. Two cobras, in a deadly dance of dominance. It was a sight to behold.

Alanna made the first move. Sending a two piece his direction, but as always, the Master Assassin was light on his feet and avoided the fists. He then followed up with a few punches of his own, causing the female to backpedal out of his long armed reach.

Jab, retreat, and then repeat. That was their dance. Kick, drop, and roll. Trying to avoid the other one's precise strikes, but every once in a while, getting hit. They kept it up longer this round. None would give ground. Neither one would back down. Ezio and I marveled at their speed and technique. They were like twin blades.

Finally, Alanna saw an opening that had been left. Sliding quickly in for the kill, she punched him from behind, knocking off his balance, and then swiping his legs out from under him. Landing unceremoniously on his backside, he had no time to recover before she pinned him to the ground, a smile of victory on her face. "Point for me."

I chuckled and watched her help him up off the ground. "Hey old man, I think you two are tied. If you do not want to spill your guts to her, I would advise stepping up your game."

Altair shot me a glare. "The only guts that will spill will be yours if you do not keep your tongue firmly planted behind your teeth, boy."

"He is just having a bit of fun, Altair. Leave him be. Besides, I am having fun." She smiled while opening a bottle of water for him. Handing it over, he drank deeply from the cool liquid. "Shall we continue, or would you like a moment to rest?"

He shook his head no and wiped the sweat from his brow. "I should be asking you that. You look more tired than I am."

"But you don't like to spar like this with someone. It only tires you out faster, and leaves you vulnerable for attack in the field. You should always be on your guard, no matter if you are with friend or foe. No human can be fully trusted, not so long as they breathe air." She recited that to him, but when she was done, her gray eyes widened. "That was right, wasn't it? That's what you used to tell me while you were training me."

We all looked at her, eyes wide. She was beginning to remember. Slowly, but it was coming back. My eyes focused on Altair, who was also wide eyed. "Yes, that is correct. Tell me, what else do you remember, Alanna?"

She hung her head. "Nothing. I mean, I am just spitting things out. It's like my mouth has a mind of its own and it will remember things that I have forgotten before my brain knows what is going on." Looking back at me, I saw confusion in their depths. "I want to remember, but I don't know how."

Ezio stepped into the ring. "Alanna, I have a theory, if I may?" This I had to hear. Ezio's theories were usually pretty good.

She nodded. "By all means."

"You seem to remember when under pressure, or doing something at comes naturally to you, like fighting. Now, can you think of why you would be good at fighting?" He crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'm like you guys, aren't I? I am an assassin, I think." She wrapped her arms around her. "That would explain why I can fight the way I do. How I can move without a sound, and climb like a spider. I am fast when I want to be, but have so much energy most of the time I want to go insane."

The Italian nodded and smiled at her. "That is most of us in a nutshell. Yes, you are one of us, I will not deny that. You have a gift, Alanna. You have forgotten most of your past. You know nothing of who you were and what you have done. You can start over fresh, but the one thing you can't change is what you are. You are an assassin, and that is what you will always be."

She shook her head slowly. I could tell she wanted to run. She, like she was now, was not a violent person. "I don't want to be a killer. I do not want to do harm to another human being."

I walked into the ring with them. "Alanna, we do not kill anyone. We kill the wicked, the corrupt. The ones that would harm another human with no remorse or emotion. Believe me when I say this. I was just like you at one time. I did not want the power over life and death. I ran from that life. The mere thought of spilling another's blood turned my stomach and I would gag. Now, I see why we do what we do. We are defenders. We help the less fortunate. We make the world a better place from the people who want to take our free will."

Turning those big gray eyes on me, she nodded. "I understand what you are saying, Desmond, I really do, but I do not think I can kill."

"You don't have to. That is why we brought you out here. To keep you away from the ones that would force your hand to do the one thing you do not want to do. They would have taken your choice from you. It would have either been kill them, or stay as their prisoner. It is not pretty being in Abstergo." Altair walked behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You are stronger than you think."

"Thank you. All three of you, but I need to go think about a few things. I am in such a rush to learn who I was, that I have not thought of if it is a good idea. I am a different person than who I used to be. Could I be her again? That is something I have to figure out."

Ezio nodded. "Take your time. You need to figure that out before you go any further."

A sigh escaped her lips. "You are right." She dropped her arms to her side. "I think I am going to take a shower. Excuse me."

She brushed past us and walked out of the building. We all watched her go, but did not say a word. There was nothing left to say. It had all been brought to the light. She knew what she used to be, and what she was destined to become once more. No one could take that away. No one could erase that from her mind, or her hidden memories. Now, the hard part was when she learned she was immortal, and would have to live with that for eternity.

**Oh my God! I am so sorry for the delay. I have been having problems with my internet and I also started classes this week. Right now I am unloading this from a Starbucks. Yum java java! Storm rolled through and knocked out the power to school, so they cancelled classes. That gave me time to do this. I have been working on changing a few things like adding a prologue and explaining a few things before this story. I am still toying with the idea, so... Well, on with the story and tell me what you think. There will be some action in the next coming chapters. Heads up! See ya!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Altair**

"What do you mean she's gone!" I blew up on Desmond.

The younger man backed up from me, out of strike range. "I mean she is not in her room, and the Dodge is gone. She took off when we were in town. I told you we should have taken her with us." He glared at me.

Pacing the room, I growled under my breath. The woman would not listen. She thought she could do whatever she wanted, when she wanted. Even without her memories, she was too headstrong. "I cannot believe she went and did this." Then I stopped and shook my head. "Yeah, yeah I can."

"So, what do we do now? Do we track her down?" He watched me, but at a distance. He knew better than to be near me while I was pissed.

Before I could answer, I hear gravel crunching on the driveway as a car came up the way. I bolted out the door to see the silver Ram pull up next to the house. Alanna smiled from the driver's seat, but she saw the frown on my face, and immediately exited the truck. "What the hell were you thinking?" I yelled at her.

She bit her lip and looked at the ground. "I'm sorry. I had to get away. For a month now I have not left this place, nor had contact with the outside world. You may be okay with that, but I am not. I cannot handle staying here and doing nothing. I needed to get out. I need to do something!"

From the sound of her voice, it was on the verge of tears. I will admit, we had been keeping her under lock and key since the night Abstergo came after her. She had not been off the property in a few weeks. A sigh escaped my lips and I shook my head. "I am doing this for your own safety, Alanna. If Abstergo got ahold of you, I do not know what they would do to you. They do not like us much."

"But… but I just needed to see other people. I like to meet people. To go that long without interaction…" She shuttered at the thought.

Desmond walked over to her, and draped an arm around her slender shoulder. "If you ever want to go out, I will take you out."

My teeth began to grind. I don't know what the boy's angle was, but something was not right about it. He did not like to go near a lot of people. Not since the accident. Since his last run in with Abstergo. "Desmond, can I talk to you for a moment?"

He looked at me. "Sure." He then turned his head back to Alanna. "I'll be right back."

I lead him towards the barn. Alanna walked back to the truck and pulled out some bags. I knew where she got the money. I have given her a credit card so that way she could order things online. I never thought she would take one of the trucks and leave with it. The woman was too independent.

I stopped just shy of the barn door, out of hearing range for Alanna. Desmond leaned against the small truck we had there for small trips for feed or equipment. "What did you want? Or what do you have a problem with, Old Man?"

My eyes narrowed. "You will not take Alanna off the property."

He snorted. "Why? If she is with me or you, she is going to be safe. You have to see that. I understand that you want to keep her safe, but she is human and a strong willed woman. She is going to keep leaving and you cannot watch her all the time. At least this way we know when she leaves."

My anger began to get the better of me. I knew that he was only trying to help, but there was something else that I was seeing, or my mind was making it up. I knew at one time he liked her, but could it be that he still had feelings for her and not in the way I liked? "Why did you volunteer to take her? You hate society almost as much as I do."

Chuckling, he stood straight and shook his head. "If it makes her happy, I would dress in drag and do the hula. She is not the same as she once was, Altair. She is an innocent. I like her that way. The real question is you willing to do the same? I know you love her, but all you have been doing since she came here is not allow her to do anything. She cannot even take one of the horses out without someone going with her."

"I am trying to keep her safe!" I blew up. The boy just did not understand anything. He did not love someone as much as I loved that woman. I would do anything to protect her and keep her from harm's reach.

"And you are suffocating her as well! You are to focused on keeping her away from everything, trying to make sure you do not have to go years again before seeing her, that you do not see that you are driving her away. You went 300 years before without seeing her." He dropped his arms and glared at me.

I went to make a retort, but stopped short. He had a valid point. I had gone 300 years before without seeing her face. Well, once in the 1800's and it was not long, but I thought this time she was dead. I thought I would never see her again. "Alright Desmond, what do you propose? I start taking her out of here more often?"

The boy smirked. "Now you are getting it. There is a fair coming up this weekend at the fairgrounds. Why don't you take her there? She will love it. If you don't want to take her, I will. She needs interaction with humans and needs to see what everyone else is like. She needs to learn why we do what we do, and then she might start remembering."

I cocked my head to the side and just looked at him. "And when did you grow a brain in that dense head of yours?"

"When I had to deal with your stubborn ass for ten years. Then before that, having you in my head for a few weeks. Now that was a scary thing." Desmond smiled at the memories.

I waved a hand at him. "Anyway, you are jumping subjects. Fine, I will take her to fair. You are to stay and make sure Abstergo is far away from here. I do not want those assholes around before we are ready for them."

He frowned again, but did not say a word. He knew what I was doing. I did not want him anywhere with Alanna alone. Not that I didn't trust him, it was, well, just that. I did not trust him. Not with her. Not the way he once felt for her. I did not like the way he looks at her. The way he was always doing things for her. It put me on edge and I did not like being on edge at all times. It was nerve wracking.

"Now, I am going back up to the house and sort this shit out." I walked away from him and toward the house when he called out to me.

"You know, you can't force her to fall back in love with you. That is not the same Alanna that we once knew. You of all people should know that."

I stopped in my tracks. Turning slowly, I stared at him. "What did you say?"

He walked over to me, a smirk on his face. "You heard me, Altair. I know you did. You cannot make her fall for you. If she does, then she does, but if she falls for someone else…"

He let the sentence trail off. I now knew what he was working for. He wanted Alanna. He had never stopped. "You had better get those thought out of your head, Desmond Miles. You will never have her, and I will make certain of that. I would be dead before I allow you to be with Alanna."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

**Alanna**

I smiled as I walked through the fairgrounds and watched all the people wandering around. It was a wonderful treat to get out of the house and see everything the small county had to offer. The smells were delightful coming from the cook-offs and the baked goods people were selling. Children laughing and running from game to game caused a small laugh to leave my lips.

Looking back at Altair, he was neither smiling nor frowning. I could tell this was not high on the list of things he wanted to do, but I was grateful he brought me. It was a nice change of pace from being in the house all the time.

Taking his arm, I smiled at him, earning a partial one in return. "Thank you for bringing me here. It was very kind of you to do this."

"You're welcome, Alanna. I thought you needed a change of pace." He laid his hand on mine, and began to walk.

I followed him through the grounds, wondering where he was leading me. "Where are we going?"

"Heading to get something to drink."

"Oh, okay." I just kept smiling, and following him. I did not know where I was, but it seemed familiar all the same. Like I had been here in my past, but it was not for a festival.

Watching everything that was going on around me, I enjoyed all the sights, sounds, and smells that were here. That was until he lead me past the livestock and a cow nosed my arm while I was not paying attention. I could not help it but scream and jump into Altair, causing him to stumble to the side.

I held on to him like he was a lifeline. Slowly turning my head, I looked at the cow. Large brown eyes stared back at me, and at that time I forgave her for scaring me. "She is so cute!"

He rolled his eyes heavenward, but did not release the hold he had on my shoulders. "Only you would find a cow cute."

I shot him a halfhearted look before turning back to the cow. "She is. Just look at her. Big brown eyes and a slightly dimwitted look. If it were male and human, I would think I was looking at Des."

That got a laugh out of my bodyguard. "Why would you say something like that?"

I grinned at him. "Because it got you to laugh, and the way Des watches me. I am not dense, nor am I stupid. You two must realize I still can think and I can put two and two together. Just like I know what your full name is."

He visually stiffened. I knew I had hit something there. Now, it was a matter of saying the right things to get him to tell me small things. I just wanted some answers to a few questions, and if I had to manipulate him, or Desmond, so be it.

"Shall we get that drink and sit somewhere? We have much to talk about." I knew it would not be easy getting information from him. He was the hardest men I had ever come across. Desmond, on the other hand, was easy. The problem was I could not get the man alone for more than a few minutes.

He nodded and walked towards where the food carts were set up. I followed a small, secret smile on my lips. I was going to get my answers, or I was going to die trying.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

We found a spot off the beaten path. Sitting down in the grass, I watched the afternoon sun begin to make its trip lower towards the horizon. We were not far enough away that we could not hear the crowds of people, the noises of the animals, or the sounds of laughter from the thrill seekers, but we were back a ways that no one could just walk up on us.

He looked at me over the picnic table, amber eyes watching me. Just from his expression, I would tell he was not happy about having this talk. "Now, how did you learn?"

I took a sip from my lemonade. "I remembered. Well, sort of. I don't know if it is my memory or that of a past life, but you were there and Ezio as well. I yelled at both of you. Repeatedly I might add. I called you La'Ahad and Ezio by his last name as well. If we have the same last name, that means one of two things. We are either related, but I can't see that being true, or we were married at one point. So, am I right? Were we married, and I want the truth."

He sighed and hung his head moment. In that instant I knew the truth. We had been married and that was why he was protective of me. "Yes, we were married, but it is complicated."

I glared at him. "You still do not want to tell me anything, do you?" He shook his head. "You told me when I started to remember, you would fill in some of the blanks. Well, now is the time. I am starting to remember things, but you do not want to live up to your end of the bargain."

"Alanna, it is way more complicated than you realize. I could be here for days, even years, trying to fill in what you cannot remember. Why can you not see that?" He looked at me, and that was the first time I had ever seen him plead with me.

I could not back down, I would not back down. I wanted answers and come hell or high water I would have them. "You do not get it. For seven years I have wondered who I was, and where I come from. I have watched people, wondering if I had known them in the missing parts of my mind. I cannot figure out for the life of me why you will not tell me anything."

"And you are not catching on. You not remembering what you have forgotten is safer. With Abstergo hunting us, you knowing what little you do remember is not putting us at risk. If they were to capture you, you have deniability about everything. You do not know what is going on." He smacked the ground, causing me to jump.

I went silent. I did not know what to say. I know he wanted to keep me safe, but I was wanting to remember. I thought about his words and what he was saying. I chose my words carefully, as to not push him farther away and to not piss him off.

"Altair, I understand you are trying to keep me safe, but fate deemed it to where I was to come back. I have lived happily for seven years, and now, it is time I become who I used to be. I may never be the Alanna you remember, but I am here and want to learn who I was at one time. Fear is not something new to me. I have lived with it for a long time. Now is the time for me to not be afraid anymore." I reached for his hand and took it in my smaller one. "I do not want to live in fear for what time I have on this Earth. I was once told, 'Life's not about waiting for the storm to pass, but about learning to dance in the rain.'"

His eyes drifted to our intertwined hands. "Alanna, I don't know…."

I smiled gently at him. "Let me decide the risks. I want to know what I was once like. I need this now more than anything. As long as I do not have to deal with a gun I will be fine."

I could see that the wheels in his head were turning. He was debating it, and for that I was glad. Maybe I would get somewhere with him. I wanted to be prepared for what was to come. I wanted to able to watch my own back, and have to rely on Desmond or him to do that. I wanted to be what I used to be and that was not afraid.

"Give me until tomorrow and I will give you my answer. Do not take this to Desmond. He does not need to be involved in this." He squeezed my hand.

I nodded and smiled brighter. "Now that is settled, would you like to go ride some rides? I have wanted to get on the Ferris wheel since we got here."

"Alright, if that is what you wish." He did not sound too thrilled about it.

I leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thank you again for bringing me here."

**I have been having trouble with this chapter. I wanted a good interaction between the two of them, plus Desmond and Altair really having a problem. Now you see what Desmond is shooting for. Will it happen? I really don't know yet. Right now, I am sitting in a park doing this chapter because my van decided to overheat on me on the way home from work. Damn van. Anyway, I will hopefully be doing regular updates from now on. Yeah, yeah, I have said that in the past, but now I have the first week of college under my belt, it should be a breeze. That is until midterms. Oh\ boy, watch out! See ya later.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Alanna**

"Do it again!"

Sweat poured down my face as I ready the fighting stance again. For two days now, Altair has been running me through some of the fighting stances that I once knew. It was of my asking, but I did not think he would be this harsh. The training went from sun up to sun down. Weapons, hand to hand, and the like was what we went through. I was exhausted by the time he released me for a shower and bed. My arms hurt, legs and back, but I pushed on. I wanted this. I needed this.

I brought the blade up once more to arm level. The weapon trembled in my weakened hands. We had been at this for more than three hours. I wanted to cry from the pain I was in, but I could not show weakness. I would not let him see I was hurting.

"Alanna, you must be on guard at all times. You cannot let your weakness become a weapon for the enemy." He stood there in front of me, arms crossed over his chest and a frown on his scarred lips. "You must push yourself until you have nothing left to push, and then find more."

A tear leaked from my eye. "I am trying. I really am."

"Then try harder. Again!" He commanded.

I lashed out at the air, Slicing and spinning, Imagining there were enemies, but yet I was alone. Then it happened. The moment I feared. I stumbled and landed on my knees, too exhausted to move. I was done. I could not finish.

"You are not ready for this life. You lack the stamina anymore." I heard the disappointment in his voice. He wanted me to make it, but he was right. I was not there yet. I could not do it.

"Give me another chance. I can do it. I swear." My voice trembled as did my legs as I tried to stand, but it was futile. I was too weak.

"You just need to stop trying to be something you are not anymore. You are not an assassin any longer."

Something in my mind clicked at that statement. I had heard something similar at one time in my life, but by a different man.

"_You are not made for this life, Alanna. You should have just stayed in Acre."_

"_No, I will make it and I will prove to you I can do it." I bit back with all the venom I could possess in my weakened state. _

"_You should give up. Go home and find a husband that will have you. You are not made for the life of an assassin." _

_I looked up at the man who was addressing me. Not much taller than I was. Black robes neat and clean, while my gray ones were more brown at that time. His obsidian eyes narrowed on me, and shook his head slowly. Raven hair hung down over his forehead, almost to his eyes. He was my mentor, my master. I would not let him down. _

"_Please Malik, let me prove to you I can do this. I am not on top of it today. I shall strive to do better. Please give me another chance." I looked up at him from my place in the mud. I could do better. I wanted to do better._

"_You shall have your second chance. I have some faith in you. Since you came here, you have come far. I would hate to throw all that talent out on the street. I do not think the Grand Master would like that either. He has much invested in you already." Malik stared at me, eyes never leaving my face._

_I bowed my head. "Thank you Master, I will not disappoint again."_

"_See that you do not."_

I grabbed the side of my head. The pain was unbearable, causing me to cry out. Altair was at my side in a heartbeat. I could not focus, my vision blurred. It felt like a million red hot needles had been shoved into my brain and left there to cool. Visions of the man, Malik, swam in my mind. I could not nail them down. It hurt to.

"Alanna, are you alright?" I felt him touch my shoulder. "Please speak to me."

"My head. My God, it hurts!" The pain escalated until my vision began to blacken. I could not concentrate any longer. I lost the fight with the pain. I passed out.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

I did not know how long I was out, but when I came to, I was lying on my bed. A cool rag was draped over my forehead. The sun hung low in the sky. My eyes stung, but the pain in my head was a now a dull throb. I could live with that.

Slowly turning my head, I looked around the room and say both Altair and Desmond sleeping in the chairs I had near the window. Cracking a smile, I watched them slumber. They would not admit it, but they were similar to each other. Both had bronzed skin that shone in the evening sun, but Altair's was a shade darker from his Arab blood. Mine was like the desert sand. I did not know why I was not as dark as they were, coming from the same area, but I wasn't. That was something I would have to ask.

As I began to move, Altair's eyes opened slowly and looked right at me. "You have awakened."

"Yeah." My voice cracked from my parched throat.

"Hold on, let me get you some water." He got to his feet and walked out of the room.

I slowly sat up. Careful not to disturb my sore head, or wake Desmond. I rubbed the left temple, and closed my eyes. Malik's face greeted me. I knew him, and not from him being my master. There was something else. Something that ran deep enough in me to hurt when I remembered him. Now I wanted to remember who he was to me, even if it caused more pain.

Sitting in the bed, thinking about my recent memory, I did not hear Altair come back in until a glass of water appeared in front of my face. "Here."

I looked up at him, and took the glass in my hands. Ice sloshed in the cool liquid, clinking against the side of the glass. Sipping the water, my throat felt better after a moment. "Thank you." I gave him a small smile, and took another sip.

"What happened?" He sat next to me on the bed. His leg brushed mine.

Sighing, I sat the cup on the table and rubbed my temple again. "I began to remember. There was a man there. Malik. He was pushing me like you did, but I don't know. It was like my mind was not liking that I was remembering him. This is the first time I have ever experience pain from a memory."

He stayed silent. I looked at him, and could tell he was a million miles away. "Altair? Did you know Malik? In the memory, he spoke of you. Said you had much invested in me."

His head drooped and I heard a hitch in his breathing. "Malik Al-Sayf was one of my most trusted friends. He was your friend as well, along with your master. No other would take a woman on as an apprentice. He saw something in you when I brought you back from Acre."

"Altair, may I ask you a question?" He turned his gaze on me. "How old are we?"

"It is time you knew. We are older than you think. I was born in 1165. You were born five years later in 1170. We are immortal. You, myself, Desmond, and Ezio. We were changed in a way none of us have yet to understand. I took it the hardest, but you have been awake the longest." He leaned against the headboard. Desmond slept on in the chair while we talked.

I let the information he had just told me sink in. I was immortal. That was why I survived the blast that claimed my memories. I would live forever with the three men I knew at my side. "Can we ever die?"

"I do not know. You survived a blast that leveled a compound. I have survived two world wars and a plane crash." I brow rose on that one. "I was on a plane bound for California in the sixties when it went down in the desert. I woke up in a morgue four days later. But we are not talking about that right now."

Tears came to my eyes when I realized I have forgotten nearly a thousand years of memories. "I have forgotten everything. There is so much that I do not know and yet I should. How could that of happened? Has this ever happened?"

I could tell he did not know how to comfort me, but he put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me to his side. I buried my head in his chest, letting the tears come. "None of us have ever done what you have done. We have not lived through something so tramatic. I believe you had resigned yourself to your fate of dying. Maybe that was why when you came to, you had no clue who you were because that Alanna, the one that saved us, died in that blast. Somehow, you were born that moment."

"But, now she is clawing her way out of my brain. She wants to come back from the dead. Can I be me and her at the same time? Or will she come back and I fade into the background?" I sobbed into his shirt, soaking it with my tears.

He gently ran his hand through my chocolate locks. "I do not have the answers you want, Alanna. I just do not know."

**Altair**

Alanna fell asleep in my arms after crying herself to sleep once more. I held her close. I had missed having her in my arms for so many years. Granted my short was slightly damp now, but I didn't care. If that was what it took to have her next to me again, I would take it.

Desmond yawned from the chair. "She woke up?"

"Yeah." I looked down at her. "I told her, Desmond. I told her about her immortality."

"You what?" He woke up instantly. "I thought you were not going to tell her until she started to remember on her own."

I looked down at her, finally peacefully sleeping. "She had a memory of Malik when she passed out in the barn. She knew she was old. I had to tell her."

He stood and stretched, and I heard a few things pop. "Ah, much better. Anyway, how did she take it?"

"Well at first, then she had a slight meltdown. It was not how I thought it would go, but she is going to have to deal with it." I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. I soaked up her warmth like the noonday sun.

"I see you two have gotten cozy with each other." I heard the distain in his voice.

I opened my eyes once more. "I am not getting into that with you, boy. I have said my mind on that subject and that is final. You will not have her, unless I am dead. End of story."

His eyes narrowed. "You are an asshole. She could do better."

I chuckled. "I will not argue with you on that one, but you are no better than myself. Just remember that. Now, go away, I want to take a nap." I let my eyes drift shut again.

I heard him walk out the door, and down the hall. I knew he was pissed, and frankly I could care less. I was not happy with him. Like hell he was going to move in on my wife. Well, I guess we were still married. I mean, I never did anything about it after the accident.

"Did Des just leave?" Alanna's sleep heavy voice reached my ears.

I smiled down at her. Gray eyes looked up at me, blinking slowly. She was not quite awake. "Yeah, he just walked out."

"Oh, okay." A yawn escaped her. "I was just wondering. I thought I heard his voice, but I didn't know if it was real or in my dreams again."

"You had a dream about him?" Now I was curious.

Another yawn. "No, about someone else. Someone who looked like him. His name was Conner and someone I used to know. I also saw this golden orb with us." She snuggled down into my chest. "I will ask you about it later." And she fell back asleep. Her breathing slowed and her face relaxed.

The problem was, her dream, or memory, just woke me up completely. Who was Conner and why did she and he have the Apple? I thought after Ezio, it was hidden. Then it hit me. There was two at one time. Ezio found mine under Masyaf where Darim hid it before his death, and he hid his in Rome. That meant mine was running around the States. Son of a bitch. That was not good at all.

**General POV**

"Stay on I-65 for sixty seven miles." The mechanical voice of the GPS echoed in the cab of the small truck.

"Why in the world do they have to live so far off the grid?" The man behind the wheel grumbled to himself as he watched the mile marker pass him on the left. The drive was exhausting to say the least, but it had to be done. He needed to get to them. Before the past came back to haunt him like it always had done in the past.

The coffee he had just gotten filled the cab with its rich aroma. He took it into his free hand and drank deeply. The liquid warmed his stomach as it settled in. He knew he still had several more hours until he got close to his destination.

"One day I may get done with all this running, but it will not be anytime soon." He shook his head, and watched the road fly by. It was a road he was familiar with. Driving it a few times a year, but never to where he was going. He had only been to his destination once before and that was with someone.

"Look out Alanna. I am coming home." The golden orb lit up slightly at her name. It was hers after all. It was time she got it back.

**So, who is the new guy and what does he want with Alanna? Things are starting to heat up and they will come to a head in the next chapter. Ezio will return and the new guy's identity will be revealed. I may not have a chapter posted for this again until next week. I am finally starting to work on one of my other stories again after a few years. I guess I just lost interest in it for a bit, but now I am back into the swing and will finally finish it. Night everyone!**


	8. Chapter 8

******Oh my God! I am so sorry for the very, very late update. I just have not had the time. Well, I am going to make the time. I will not promise anything, because with my crazy life, I can never hold it. Now, on with the chapter.**

**Desmond**

"Come on Old Man, we have been through this. I have only had eleven years of training. I cannot pull off stunts like that!" I knew I was whining, but damn it, the man would have killed me by now if he could.

"And you are acting like a spoiled princess. In my day you had to learn this without the aid of being immortal. You cannot die and if you break something, you are fine in a few days. Suck it up and do it again." Altair glared at me from behind the sword.

I glared back, but raised the sword as well. "And why in hell do I have to learn to use a sword? They are out of date and I cannot carry one on my hip like you could in your day as Grandmaster."

He came at me, sword at ready and clashed his against mine. Sparks flew down the blades as the metal grated against each other. I held my ground, but my arms were already sore from clashing with him for at least an hour now. He backed up a few steps and swung around again, causing me to jump back from having my insides on the outside.

"You need the basic skills of a sword to know how to handle any blade. That is why I can best you with a dagger or even the hidden blade." He switched the grip on the hilt and came at me once more.

I blocked his advice and charged him, placing him on the defense. "This is ridiculous! You know I can do this, but I have not had almost a thousand years to master this."

His speed was incredible, and he avoided all of my strikes. "You are too slow, boy." He slid backwards and brought the sword back to the ready. "You must anticipate your opponent's movements and thoughts. You must be on top at all times."

Throwing the sword down in disgust. "You want too much from all of us. You want us to BE like you, but we can't. I am Desmond, Ezio is Ezio, and Alanna is…." I let that trail off because I did not know who she was anymore.

"Want to finish that?" He let the sword rest at his side, but I knew he wanted to use it on me.

"I don't know how to finish that. She is Alanna, but at the same time she isn't. How else to you want me to put it." I headed for the door, until I felt the cool steel of his blade against my neck.

"Walk out that door, and I will run you through. You will pick back up that sword and you will practice. I will not be saving your ass at every turn." He growled at me.

I was not about to let him bully me. "No, go shove it up your ass, Altair." I took another step towards the exit. "I am tired of you telling me what to do. Just because you are the oldest and have the most training does not make you better than anyone."

The sword left the tender flesh of my neck and I inwardly sighed in relief. I did not know if he would actually run me through or not. It was a gamble that it took and won. I was glad for that. I was wearing one of my favorite shirts.

"You may have won this round, but you will be trained. Like it or not, Boy, you should know these things." He glared at me with hooded eyes.

I knew this was not a war I had won. That had just begun. I did not know when he would strike next, but it was coming, and it would be hard.

As I opened the barn door, I heard the sound of gravel crunching under tires. No one was supposed to be coming. Ezio was not to be here for another two days. I exited into the bright sun, and looked down the driveway. An older pickup, beaten and had seen better days, rolled up the long road that separated the house from the main street.

"Altair, I think you need to get out here. There is someone coming up the drive." I yelled back into the cavernous barn.

He stepped into the sunlight. His sword shone in the morning sun. "Who the hell is that?"

I shook my head. "I have no clue. That was why I told you to get out here. I thought they were coming for you."

We must have drawn the same conclusion, at the same time, because we both took off for the house. They had to be here for Alanna, but no one knew where she was. Altair had covered all tracks leading back to this place. It was under a different name, because it had been 'sold' ten years ago. He wanted a safe haven for us to go to.

Making it to the door, he ran in first and I followed. Alanna looked up from her place in her favorite chair, book now lying open on her curled up legs. "What is going on with you two?" Concern shone in their gray depths as she watched us.

"There is someone coming up the drive. You need to get upstairs and stay there until we get rid of them." Altair held out his hand to her, but she just stared at him.

"Huh?" She closed her book, and sat it on the small table next to her. She unfurled her legs and stood. "What are you going on about?"

He looked at me. "Take her upstairs and do not let her come down. Do you understand?"

I nodded and advanced on the female, but her glare stopped me dead in my tracks. "Touch me Desmond, and I swear I will make your life a living hell." She then turned those stormy eyes on him. "So help me, Altair, if you do not start telling me something, I am going to… to… Oh I don't know what I will do to you, but it will not be nice."

He grabbed her arm and she attempted to pull away, to no avail. "You are going to get upstairs right now. Do not fight me on this, please."

I heard the concern in his voice. She was the only one he gave away any emotion for. Her eyes widened and slowly, her head nodded. He released her, but before she took a step, I heard the brakes and the gravel stop crunching. A door opened, and Altair pushed Alanna behind him.

A shadow fell upon the porch as the person walked up to the door. "Alanna? Hey Al, you here?"

I looked at Altair. He was watching the door. Alanna shook her head, like she was trying to clear the cobwebs from her mind. "I know that voice. I know who that is."

She ran for the door. We followed. When we were outside, I saw Alanna wrapping her arms around the man's neck. Altair stood there, seething, and I was not far behind.

A moment later, they let go of each other, both smiling. "Alanna, it is good to see you after all these years. You have not changed a bit."

She giggled and blushed. "Neither have you. Staying out of trouble?"

"You know me, not really." He smiled at her, and my hatred for this man grew.

A shadow passed over Alanna's face, and her smile fell. "Not really. I have something to tell you. I have a few problems with my memories. All I can recall is your name, and that was because I remembered it yesterday." Her eyes casted to her feet. "I am sorry, Conner."

Conner? No, that cannot be. I took a step forward. "Conner? As in Conner Kenway?"

The new guy arched a dark eyebrow at me. "I haven't been called that in a few years. How do you know who I am?"

This was going to be a bad day. "I know you, because I am descended from you."

**Alanna**

I looked back at Desmond and then at Conner. His hazel eyes widened, and looked at me. "You have got to be kidding me."

"I wish it wasn't. Come on in. We will try to explain things to you." I turned on my heels and almost did a face plant into Altair's chest. I raised my eyes to his face and saw murder in his golden orbs. Murder for Conner that is.

I looked back at Desmond. "Why don't you go on in and show Conner around. I need to talk to Altair for a minute. Is that alright?"

The younger man nodded and smiled at me. "Sure." He turned his brown eyes onto the new guy. "Come on. I had better put some coffee on. Hope you like it."

"I will drink it, but it is not my drink of choice. You have any pop?" They walked into the house together and left me on the front porch with Altair.

Looking down at the ground, I wrung my hands in front of me. I did not know what to say, but he took the first step. "What do you remember of him?"

Raising my eyes from the fascinating spot on the porch, I looked at him. "Not much. I know I was with him for a time. We were partners, friends. I helped him and he helped me. I think he found out what I was early on, but kept it to himself. He never told anyone. Other than that, I don't remember."

I really didn't. The memories that I did have were so scattered and warped. I had not a clue as to what pieces went where and what happened in between the times I could not recall. The years were jumbled in my head, and I could not get them in order.

I could feel the tears come again. I had cried so much since coming here. I don't know why, but some of the memories were painful to relive. I guess he saw the tears begin to trail silently down my cheeks, because one moment I was standing there, then the next I was in his arms. His scent filled my nose and I felt calm once more. Only he could that to me.

His hand found my hair and his cheek rested on the top of my head. "I am sorry for thinking what I did. I know you do not remember, but you seemed to know him better than you know myself or Desmond."

I bit back a sob. I did seem to remember more of Conner than them. Why was that? Was it because my mind did not want me to remember them right now? Or was it more? I didn't know what it was. "Altair, I am so confused. What if there was something between us? What if he wants to rekindle that?"

He raised my face to look at him. "What do you feel?"

"I…" To tell you the truth, I did not know. I had so many thoughts running through my already scattered mind, that I did not take my feeling into consideration. "I don't have feeling for him. I do not feel anything but friendship for him. I only have feelings for one, and that is you."

A small smile came to his lips and I could tell it was genuine because it reached his eyes. "And I you, Alanna. Only you."

Then, the moment I had been waiting for came. He lowered his head, and I readied myself. My mind shut down, but I could hear that inner voice cheering like they were at a football game. I knew in my heart this was what I wanted. I wanted him to kiss me.

"I see you guys are getting closer."

My eyes flew open and I looked at him. A dark look passed over his eyes. "And you still know how to ruin a moment, Ezio."

The Italian laughed. "Yes, yes I do."

The mood was ruined. I wanted to smack the smile right off Ezio's face. "Now that he is here, would you like to go in and get the interrogation of Conner over with?"

That was something that caught the other man's attention. "Conner? Who the hell is Conner? And why am I the last to know?"

"Because you are the last to arrive and the last to get in line. That is why." Altair touched my shoulder and smirked at me. "Later, I promise."

I stomach did a flip flop at his crooked lip. If I could, I would have turned into a puddle right then and there. "Okay."

We walked into the house and into the room. Desmond and Conner looked up from there place on the couch. "You two have a good talk?" I could hear the hate in Des' voice, but I was not about to let it ruin my mood.

"Yeah, I would say we did." I smiled back at the man behind me. I then turned to Ezio. "Now that everyone is here, I think a few things need to be explained. Well the things I can remember."

Conner stood and held out his hand to Ezio. "Conner, and you are?"

The Italian's eyes turned to me. "I guess a few explanations need to come out now. Conner, you may want to sit down." The hazel eyed man cocked an eyebrow, but sat back down. "The man next to you is Desmond Miles. He is your descendent. Don't freak. It's not a new thing around here. The man to my right is Ezio Auditore da Firenze, and the man right here," I reached for Altair's hand, and he took it. "Is my old Grandmaster, Altair Ibn-La'Ahad."

"Whoa! Hold on a minute. They are famous! I even know who they are and I was not much into the history of the Guild. They are immortal?" Conner's eyes almost bugged out of his head.

I heard a chuckle leave Ezio. "Yes, we are immortal. They were the firsts." He pointed to myself and Altair.

"Now that is out in the open. What has brought you here, Conner?" I had to know why he was here.

He sighed and ran his hand through his dark hair. "I have something that is yours. You gave it to me many years ago and now it is time to bring it back to you." He stood and grabbed the bag he had brought with him. Out of the bag came a book and a golden orb. "You said to bring this to you in fifty years. To come here."

I did not know what to say. Since having no memories, I did not recall telling anyone anything. "I'm sorry, Conner, but I don't remember."

He chuckled. "This book should help you a bit then. It is your memoirs. I have not read it. It was not for my eyes. For some reason, you sat down and penned this around a hundred years ago and told me to hold on to it for you." He held it out and I gently took it.

Pulling it to my chest, I smiled. Now, I would have many questions answered. "Thank you so much."

**We now have the five immortals. Yes, five, but something is going to go really wrong, really fast. Apple + assassins= Bad news for many. See ya later.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Alanna**

I could hear the cannon fire. The smell of gun powder in the air, and the ground tinged with blood. I heard the planes fly overhead and the rapid fire of their guns as they found the enemies flying past. I began see things that were not there, and it scared the hell out of me. I did not know what to do, or where to turn. The guys wanted me to talk about it, but I was scared. Who the hell was I? What the hell am I now? I didn't know if I wanted those answers anymore.

"Alanna?"

I slammed the book closed with a start. I was so wrapped up in the life I used to live that I had not heard Conner walk into the room. Turning, I looked at him. "Hey I'm sorry. I was reading."

He walked in, hands in his pockets. "I came to say goodbye."

"Goodbye? But you just got here. Why are you leaving now?" I sat the book to the side and stood. He had been here less than a day. I had no time to pick his brain about who I was when I was with him, and the relationship between us. I wanted… no, let me rephrase that. I needed to know who I was throughout my life. I needed to unlock the answers inside my own mind, but it was like the lock was frozen.

He rocked back on his heels and then his toes. "I am not good with people. You, most of all, should know that." He stopped for a minute and thought about what he had just said. "Well, you would know if you could remember me."

I knew he did not say it to be mean. The guys often did it when they were talking about something I had done with them. I would stare blankly at them and then they would apologize for what they had just said. I was so sick of hearing the word "sorry" over and over. I was broken, but I was working hard to fix that.

"Conner, I wanted to ask you some questions. I haven't got to the chapter where I met you. How did we meet?"

He sighed and let his hands fall. "It's not a pretty answer, Al. You kind of wanted to forget about what you did." He looked at me with those hazel orbs. "Well, I think you finally got your wish. Why don't you let the past die and start over? Be someone other than what you used to be. We are killers. You could be more. I always thought it was sad that you never really had a choice in your life. Now, I think you finally do."

I never had a choice? That's all life was. A bunch of choices we had to get to the end of the journey. But the journey would never end for us, would it? "Who was I, Conner? I need to know."

He sat on the bed and raked his fingers through the shoulder length hair. "You were kind to all that you could, but a vicious streak that made you two different people. To the populous, you were a giver, a mother to every child that did not have one, or needed another. A mentor to the assassins, but never gave away enough for them to know your true age. I found out the hard way what you really were."

I took the chair across from him. "Please, continue." I urged him. I just wanted to hear a bit more.

"I do not think that would be wise, Alanna."

I looked up at the doorframe to see Ezio standing there. He leaned against the wood frame, and watched me. I frowned and slouched in the chair. "I need to know, Ezio. I want to know."

He shook his dark head and sighed. "You do not need to push yourself. You have plenty of time to remember."

Conner, sensing there was a fight about to start, stood. "Look, I will make you a deal. I will hang around for a few days. If you remember anything about our time together before I leave, I will talk to you about it. I will not tell you anything, but I will help you remember, alright?"

So, he was going to side with the Italian. Just when I thought I may get some answers. "Whatever. I remember anything, I will let you know."

"Good." He took his leave and walked out.

Ezio walked into the room and stood at the foot of my bed. "Alanna, we all want you to remember, we really do, but if what happened when you trained with Altair happens every time you push yourself, you are going to be dealing with a lot of pain."

I stood abruptly. "That was a onetime deal, Ezio. It's not going to happen again. I just… overdid it. I learned from that mistake and moved on." I was not about to let him push me around. I would not let anyone do that.

He smiled gently. "I just don't want to see you get hurt. You have several lifetimes to remember, and maybe Conner was right. Maybe you can start over."

Was he serious? I had to be hearing things wrong. "I am an assassin. I have always been an assassin. I can just start over. I think I have done that enough for all of the years I have lived. Now, if you kindly get out of my room, I want to get back to reading." I glared at him, hoping he had caught the message.

"Fine. I will leave you be, but I am just trying to help you." He headed for the door.

"Your 'help' has not been very helpful." I mumbled. I knew he heard me, because all he did was shake his head slowly and walk out.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Later on, I made my way down to the barn. My mind was still reeling from everything that I had read. I had read up to my creation, but I still had so much more to go through. So many different lives, names, people. I did not know how to process it all. How could one blow to the head make me forget so much? And since I forgot it all, would it all come back, or be lost to the sands of time.

There was only one person I knew that could help me with the things that I thought of now, and that was Altair. I just wanted some clarification on a few things, not complete answers. He would help me out there.

I found him in the corral with a young horse. He had the beast on a long lead and walking it around in circles. Leaning on the rail, I smiled at his back. He had a way with the animals, but with humans, that was something else.

_The water was cool on my bare feet as I dipped them in the river. The sun had just begun to set and I knew that the temperature would as well, but for now, this was a small piece of heaven. _

"_Alanna, we must move. The Templars will be upon us if we are not careful." _

_I sighed and stood. _ _I knew our break would not last long. We had been spotted by a Templar scouting party, and they killed my horse in their quest to finish us off. Altair pulled me onto the back of his and rode off. Now, we were lost in the wastelands. The river was the first break we had in days. _

"_They have not found us in three days, Altair. I believe we are fine for the moment. Please, relax but for a moment. You will fall over if you do not." I turned to him and smiled gently. He was always pushing himself, always on guard for some hidden threat or plot to destroy us. _

_He led the horse to the river to drink. The poor beast had been carrying both of us for so long, and with very little food. We too, had not eaten much since our encounter with the Templars, but we would be fine. _

"_We must be on guard. They cannot catch us, because if they would, they would know our secrets." He patted the horse's neck and let him roam for a bit to munch on the small shoots of grass that grew nearby. _

"_I know, but you are exhausted. I am as well." I walked over to him and touched his arm. "I will take the first shift. You sleep and I will wake you in a while."_

_I knew I had him when I heard him sigh. "Very well, but do not let me sleep long."_

_Nodding my head, I walked away from him and over to where the horse grazed. As I approached, it lifted its head and looked at me. I held out my hand and the beast snapped at me. "Bastard horse." _

_It bared its teeth and began to paw the ground. I backed away slowly, as to not agitate it anymore. It liked no one but my companion, even though I was the one that had brought it treats when I could. _

I blinked at the sun as I came back from the memory. It was the first memory I had that did not involve violence, except the horse trying to take my hand off. Sadly, I could not remember what ever became of the horse I named Altair Jr. behind his back. They both hated most humans and I guess found me annoying.

"Altair." I called to him, alerting him of my presence.

He turned and gave me a quirk of the lips. I did not get many smiles from him, but the ones I did, I cherished. "Give me a moment."

I nodded and watched him lead the horse around the corral one more time. He walked up to the beast, a gentle pat its sleek neck and unclipped the lead. It trotted off and he walked over to me. I stepped back as he vaulted the fence. "What's going on?"

"I wanted to ask you a few questions." I began to play with a section of my hair that had fallen from the braid.

He raised a brow. "If this is about your past, I will only answer if you have remembered."

I was starting to get aggravated by that answer. "I know. It's about some things I read in the book Conner brought. I remember a few things about Malik. Now, I was trying to find out. I mentioned a woman by the name if Maria Thorpe. Who is that?"

A shadow crossed his face. He turned from me and began to walk away. "Altair!" I chased after him and grabbed his arm. "Was it something I said?"

He did not look at me right away. He looked at the ground, then the sky, and finally he turned his gaze on me. "Maria was my wife when we were mortal."

"Oh." I had not thought about that. I do not know why I had not written down who she was, or I had not gotten that far. "I'm… I'm sorry. I did not mean to upset you. I saw her name, and I could picture a face, but I could not make the connection to who she actually was."

He placed a hand on my shoulder. "It's alright. I just had not thought about her in a long time."

I could tell he was deeply troubled by my mentioning her name. "I… I think I'll head back to the house. Sorry for upsetting you. I had a few more questions, but they can wait."

I backed away from him. I did not mean to give him the haunted look yet again. I had seen it once before when he awoke to a new world and an immortal life. I had hoped I would never see that look once more, but with a slip of the tongue and no real clue at the consequences my words would cause, I had given him at look once more.

Now I really felt bad. But, before I could dwell on it any further, Desmond flew down the path towards us. "Oh I am glad I found you two. We need to move. Like now. Ezio just got a call from Becca. Shit, how do I say this?" He fidgeted a bit until Altair stopped at my side.

"Just spit it out. That would be the best way." He growled.

Desmond glared at the older man. "Fine, here goes. The Templars finally put two and two together. They went to see if we had come back. Since we haven't, well, they took Kate."

I felt my heart drop. The woman would watched me, gave me a home, love and made me feel wanted, had been taken because of me. "What do they want?" I asked when I found my voice.

"Don't know, but knowing them, it's not good." The younger man looked at me. "Alanna, are you going to be alright?"

I thought about the last thing she had said to me before I left.

_I opened the back door and closed it once more. "I can't do this. I cannot leave you. What if they come back and…?" _

_She cut me off with a smile. "Alanna, I'll be fine. Quit your fussing. You are starting to sound like my mother."_

_I hiccupped and tried to smile at her joke. "But what if..?"_

"_Alanna," she cupped my cheek in her hand. "You knew one day you would have to leave. This not how I pictured it, but you are going with someone who can give you the answers you seek. When this blows over you can come back and see me, but until then I will be fine and you will be fine. I am a call away. You know the number."_

_I nodded. "I know. I am going to miss you."_

_She wrapped me in her arms once more, and I felt safe and secure. "I will always be with you. Now go. Safety and peace, my daughter." _

It hit me like a Mack truck doing seventy. "Oh my God! I think Kate knew about us. I think she knew about the Assassin Order."

They both gave me a messed up look. Altair was the first to speak. "Why do you say that?"

"The day I left. The last thing she said to me was 'safety and peace'. That's what the other assassins used to say when we departed. What if they were not hunting me, but her? The attack in the parking lot. The strange cars riding past every once in a while. I think they thought she was training another assassin under their noses." I shook my head. "But she wasn't. She didn't know who I was. I didn't know who I was."

"Whoa, whoa! You think Kate is ex-Brotherhood?" Desmond blinked a few times, trying to process what I just told them.

Could she have been? Or was I seeing too deep into what she had said? I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes. Could I even trust my own memories from only a few months past? I was beginning to give myself a headache.

"Alanna," I looked up at Altair. He had laid a hand on my lower back. "We will get this sorted out, but right now; we need to figure out where they have taken her."

"We are going to get her back?" I asked, looking at him with pleading eyes. I could not think about her with those men and what I knew about them. I was afraid for her safety and her life.

He merely nodded. "Let's go back up to the house and figure out our course of action."

**Alright, let's start off by saying I have not had my computer since October. I ended up running into some financial problems and pawned it. I just got it back out on Saturday. Well, then I had this chapter done, but my lovely children lost my flash drive that had it on there. So, I had to start from scratch. I was so mad. Anyway, I will try to make regular updates from now on. At least a chapter a week. Two if I can get it in. Again, I am so sorry for the wait and thank you all for reading. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Altair**

I watched Alanna pace the length of the small living room, nearly to the point of pulling her hair out in frustration. She had told us what she knew, but then in the same breath said she did not trust her own memories. I felt for her, I really did, but I knew she would hate me when I opened my mouth in a second.

"Alanna, I believe when we go to rescue Kate, you should stay here." Here we go.

She stopped suddenly and turned to stare at me. "You have got to be kidding me."

I stood and walked over to her. "You are not ready for something like this. I do not want you to get captured." I knew she was not ready. She may be able to fight, but was she ready to kill? I did not believe she was ready for that. Not yet, and if I had my wish, she would never be ready. She had a chance to start over. I had wished sometimes that I had a chance like that.

Her eyes widened. "You think I can't handle myself?"

I was about to step in it deep if I did not choose my words carefully. I knew the Alanna now was easy to placate, but somewhere in that wreck of a mind of hers laid the most stubborn woman I have ever known. At any moment she could rise from the dead and eat me alive.

"You said yourself you did not want to kill. I am trying to see that does not happen, but where we are going, the belly of the beast, you may have to. They would not hesitate to put a bullet in you. I would not hesitate to put on in them. Can you say the same?"

From the look on her face, I knew I had her. She was still torn about the whole killing part. I knew she would just be a distraction for me if she went.

"Can I jump in here for a minute?" Ezio asked as he pushed off the wall he had been leaning against the whole time. I nodded and as did Alanna. "Good. I think we can find something for her to do on this mission that does not involve killing someone."

What could he be thinking about? Unless he was thinking what I just had pop into my head. "Are you talking about a driver?"

He nodded, a smile spreading across his face. "Normally we have Desmond be the driver, but under the circumstances, I think she would do just fine, but we could use another person on the inside."

Four heads turned and looked at the Native American sitting on the arm of the couch. He stared at us like we had just lost our ever loving minds. "Uh…no. I have enough problems with the Templars hunting me. I have not been like you guys and hiding what I am. I have been out there and destroying them wherever I can find them."

"Well son, you haven't been doing that good of a job if one, they are still here and two, they are not hunting you that bad." I smirked. "I destroyed three city blocks one time and they hunted me for two years. I could not stay in the same place twice. Hell, I was sleeping in sewers."

Conner stood and walked over to the small group. "I do just fine. At least I am not too big of a chicken shit to live in the open. You hide behind your new identities and your technology. I fight them the way I did when I was mortal. I just upgraded the weapons over the years." He went toe to toe with me.

Oh, the kid had an attitude! I was going to enjoy taking him down a few pegs and lay him out on the ground. "We shut them down for nearly five years. Can you say that?"

He laughed. "They will never be down for long, you know that. I fight them all the time. You like to wait until they are amassed in a group. I know what you did for the last ten years. Oh yeah. I have heard about that. Killing them at parties, wedding, funerals, and the like. I think that's about the only time you and I have ever been alike."

"You did what?"

I turned to see Alanna looking at me, gray eyes large and in shock. I never wanted her to know about that time. Hell, now I wish I could forget. "Alanna that was a different time. I thought they had killed you." I reached for her, but she backed up.

"How many innocents?" She whispered.

"I don't know." I hung my head. "I wanted them to suffer the way I did. I wanted them to feel what I felt."

She turned and fled the room, sealing the fact she was not Alanna any longer. She was, but in the same breath, was not. I narrowed my eyes at Conner. "I will deal with you later. She was not supposed to know about that. She is not the same woman we all knew at one time."

I raised my fist to hit him, when someone grabbed it. "Hitting him will not make it better. You knew what you were doing when you did those things, Altair. You wanted them to hurt. Well, they did. Now, you have to live with that and try to regain what little footing you had with Alanna." Ezio stepped in front of me. "Go deal with this problem now, and I will try to find out what I can about where Kate is being held."

Nodding, I lowered my fist and glared at the other man. "This is not over. Not by a long shot."

"I wouldn't dream of it." He smirked and took a seat in the chair behind him.

I quickly left the room in search for Alanna. I found her a few minutes later in her room, lying on her bed. I knocked on the open door. She turned enough to see me and rolled back over. "May I come in?"

She did not answer, so I stood in the doorway. How do I fix this mess? I was not the one that came up with the good ideas. She was the always the better of us to do this. "I never wanted you to find out like that."

"But you did it. You used revenge as a means to slaughter innocent people." She spoke low and from the tone, I could tell she had been crying or was crying.

Now I was starting to feel about an inch tall. "Alanna, I was hurting. I thought I had lost you, and I had nothing left. I could not die. I was going to live without you for forever, and I wanted them to see their world could be taken away as well. I did not care at that point."

She finally looked at me, her eyes were red and shone with unshed tears. "I thought we didn't kill the innocents? Isn't that we were always taught? 'Stay your blade from the flesh of the innocent'. That was one of the tenets, wasn't?"

She spoke the truth. I had done the same thing that took the life of Malik's brother, Kadar, back at Solomon's Temple. "I have done wrong. I know I have, but I did not know what else to do. When I awoke to find my family was nothing more that dust in their graves, you showed me how to channel that grief into helping others so no one else had to go through what I did."

I had betrayed her and myself. I broke everything I stood for. For what? My revenge? Now that my mind was clear and I had focus once more, I could see the errors I had made the last ten years. So many died that did not need to. Now I really needed to have a drink, but even that would not help when you cannot even drink the memories away. "I am sorry."

"I know why you did it." She came to me, and cupped my cheek. "I might have done the same thing if I was in your shoes, but there is so much blood on your hands. In that same time, there is much on mine, I suppose. I was like you at one time. I have killed many, haven't I?"

"No, you have not killed anyone. I may call you Alanna, but you are not like her. You have something she lost a long time ago. Innocence. I hope you stay that way. If blood needs to be spilled, I shall do it for you." I looked into her eyes.

Her smile warmed me a bit. "You cannot fight all my fights, but you can fight this one. I will stay behind when you go get my mother. I don't think I can handle being there if something went wrong."

She was hinting at Kate being killed. I knew what she was saying, and I understood. "Alright." Then I finally did what I had wanted to do for weeks now. I kissed her.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

"We are a go here." I spoke low into the mic I had clipped to the collar of my jacket.

'_West entrance is clear as well.'_ Desmond came over the line. He had shaped up nicely in his years of exile.

'_Garage secure. Will enter on your signal.'_ Conner finally agreed to come when Alanna asked him.

She had stayed behind like she said she was going to. I would not fault her for doing so. She had the courage to admit she could not do it and we all looked up to her for that.

Ezio held his SIG Sauer P220 at ready, and my Colt 1911 was in my hand. I was not worried about being silent once we got into the building. They had cameras everywhere inside and there was not a way to shut them down remotely. I had asked Rebecca about that. She also told me that once we popped the doors, a silent alarm goes off that tells them where they have been compromised. That was why we were striking from three angles. Conner was in the garage, Desmond had taken the west entrance, by the research labs, and then Ezio and I were entering through the roof. A few well-placed shots with a sniper, two zip lines, and we were up there.

From the Intel we gathered, they were keeping Kate in the basement detention center. It was closest to Conner, but we all had our areas to clear.

"Let's do this gentleman." And I nodded my head. Ezio planted the charge and we covered our ears. It blew open easily and with minimal backlash. He was the expert at explosives. Sometimes I wished I had paid that close attention on my travels and less attention on other things, like what type of steel swords from around the world were made out of.

I entered first, clinging to the walls as I made my way down the stairs. Ezio followed right behind me. Upon coming to the first door, I signaled him to get ready. Popping open the door, I saw at least a half dozen guards in heavy riot armor. My gun and Ezio's would be useless against that. I crept back to him.

"They have heavy riot. This is all you." I let him go ahead of me.

He pulled a cylinder out of his pocket that looked like a thing of Chap Stick, but I knew better. I really wanted his secrets in bomb crafting. Cracking the door open enough to roll it in, he brought out the detonator. Once he hit the button, the door flew off the hinges and out came a spray of blood, tissue and other assorted pieces that was once a man in riot gear. Now he was just a greasy smear on the walls, ceiling and well, everywhere.

"Remind me not to piss you off when you have one of those on you. That could be very bad." I whispered to him, looking at the carnage that replaced the men.

"Remind me to take the one out from under your bed then." He grinned at me.

Was he serious? With the Italian, I was not quite sure. Like the rest of us, he was not completely mentally stable and his work with explosives shows that. "Come on."

We made it to the service elevator on the other side of that floor with no more heavily armed or shielded men. I started to get the feeling something was about to go south, and rather quickly. I stopped short of the door and as I did I saw the elevator was moving.

We backed up and around the corner. We heard the ding, and then more men in riot gear ran out. Ezio pulled out another explosive. I shook my head. We were too close to them for it to miss us. I could not have us hurt this early into the extraction.

Frowning, he slipped it back into his pocket and pulled out a smaller one. We had to get on that elevator; because that was the only way down to the floor we were going to meet up with the other two. He lobbed into the middle of them. We dove for cover and by the time they realized what was at their feet, it went off, knocking them off their feet.

Quickly, we took them out and got on the elevator. Punching the floor we needed, I backed myself into the corner on one side and he did the same on the other. That way, if they tried to fire on us when the doors opened, they had a smaller percentage of hitting us.

The damn thing felt like it was taking forever, but when the doors opened I was surprised to see Desmond standing there, rather bloody. "Thought you two would never get here. Conner is clearing the corridor now. We are going to meet him in a few minutes."

"What's the guard situation down here like?" I asked standing up at full height. My legs had gotten quite the workout for crouching as long as I did.

He checked the clip in the Browning Hi Power he borrowed. It was once Alanna's choice of sidearm. "They have retreated back to the detention area. At least a dozen to a dozen and a half."

"Well, that sounds like it's going to be a blast to get past." Ezio checked his cargo.

I would not carry explosives like he did, but he was the expert. I had not seen him have an incident in at least a hundred years. The last one was rather nasty that leveled a barn, a chicken coop, and blew up seven chickens, two goats, a cow, and knocked the top off the well. I had to pick large pieces of wood out of him and some metal. All I heard him bitch about was how I lacked any medical training. This was true. I was more of the weapons master and ammo specialist. Now I was the mechanic and handy man. I still hated computers.

We heard rapid machine fire and then a small explosion. Conner came running out of the hallway, AK 47, slung over his shoulder and a few guards on his ass. "Help would be nice."

I dropped to one knee and began to fire. Ezio and Desmond did the same. After emptying the clip into the guards, and making sure they were not getting up, held out my hand to pull Conner off the ground. "What the hell did you do, talk to them?"

"Ha ha, you are a laugh riot." He sneered. "No, they tried to ambush me. I had one small charge and nearly out of ammo."

"Here" Des pulled out his spare gun and it over. "That's why we always a pistol along with whatever we are carrying."

"Well, I was not planning in storming a Templar compound when I came to bring Alanna her journal. I left a lot of shit at my place in Texas." He slipped the pistol into the back waistband of his black cargo pants.

Ezio slipped a fresh clip into his SIG. "Now is not the time for this. We need to get past them, or through them, and get to Kate. After that, you two can argue until you fall over from lack of breath."

I glared at the Native American, and he glared back. "Let's get this over with."

Working as one unit, we over took the next room, with only one wound. A bullet grazed my leg when I distracted the guards for Ezio to get past. He shot them with a sticky dart that had a small charge on it. It worked well enough to kill them quickly.

Tying a piece of cloth around the wound, I growled at the pain that ran up my leg. "Let's keep moving."

"You sure? We could go ahead and take them out." Desmond looked at me, then to the bandage on my leg that was already becoming saturated with blood.

"I'm fine." I tested out my leg. I could bear weight on it, but I would not be doing any running.

A bit slower this time, we made our way deeper into the bowls of the detention area. A stray guard here and there was nothing we couldn't handle, but when we got to the actual area they were holding Kate, that all went down the shitter.

Twenty five guards sporting riot gear and automatic assault rifles greeted us. We were so fucked.

"Gentlemen, please lay down your weapons and kick them in this direction." A man walked out from behind a wall and smiled at us.

"Like hell." I narrowed my eyes at him.

He held up a hand and the guards raised their rifles. "Lay them down and you will not be harmed."

I looked at the guys and dropped the Colt. The others did the same. I booted my gun in the man's direction. "Now, what the hell you want with her?" I pointed to Kate's cell.

She looked at me and finally realized who I was. "Where's Anna?"

"Safe." I replied but I never took my eyes off our captor. "Want to answer?"

"She was once a mole for us then went rogue. Joined your little band of wannabe assassins. Thinking you had a chance of winning. Took us ten years but we finally found her, only to be foiled by a woman we knew nothing about. Kate, it seemed, had found a bodyguard." He smiled at Kate and she glared back.

"Now the funny thing is when we went to talk to her, Kate got her to leave, leaving herself open for capture."

"Then we show up and ruin your plans." I smirked. "I love doing that to you bastards."

He walked over to us and looked at us each very closely. "I know you." He pointed to Desmond and then looked at Conner, "and you. You two have a long history of making trouble for us."

"I try, but I can only do so much, so I found these guys and we can cause more mayhem for you." Conner smirked and met his eyes. "Now, what are you going to do about it?"

"Kill you."

"Like hell." Dawson threw a grenade into the room and everyone dove for cover. He knelt in front of me. "Let's move before they get their acts together."

I saw Becca over by the cage and freeing Kate while Tom sat in the rafters and fired at the enemies, keeping them distracted and confused. Once Kate was free and weapons collected, I followed the others out the door.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

None of us stopped running until we were outside and at the van we had parked in the garage. Desmond fired up the engine up once Tom was in, and we took off.

I turned to Dawson. "Thanks for saving our bacon back there. How did you know where we were?"

He smiled and handed me a phone. "You might want to call that woman of yours. She thought something bad was going to happen, so she called us. Tom had just happened to pop in for his yearly visit and got roped into helping."

I nodded my head and took the phone he handed me. I dialed the number at the ranch and Alanna answered. 'Hello?'

"Thank you for the backup. It came in handy." I smiled into the phone.

'Altair, I am glad to hear from you. I was worried something happened, so I called Becca because I remembered she was one of us and asked for her help. I was just glad I could help. There was no way I could have made it all the way down there in time to do any good.'

"We are heading in your direction now. Everything okay up there?" It was just good to hear her voice.

'Everything is fine. I have some news for you when you get here. I had a breakthrough with my memories.' She sounded excited about it.

"Like what?" I was not sharing her excitement. I did not want to see her lose that innocence she has now. If she remembered too much, I was afraid that she would be Alanna once more and the woman she was now would go away.

'I'll tell you when you get here.' She laughed a bit. 'I will let you go for now. See you soon.'

"Alright, bye." I hung it up and handed back. "She had some more memories come back."

Kate smiled. "That's a good thing."

I looked out the window. "Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on what she actually remembers."

**I know the ending was a bit rushed. I am working up to something big. Well, I'm trying to. Bear with me for a bit longer. The next chapter will be wilder and a few more things answered. Until next time.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Monteriggioni 1500**

_I shook my head in disgust. "He is not ready, Mario. He cannot engage the Borgia on their own territory alone."_

"_We cannot wait until they come knocking on our gates, Alanna. We must act now, and he is our only hope. Unless…." He let the sentence hang there and I knew what he was hinting at._

_I glared at him from the corner of my eye. We stood side by side on the roof of the Villa. "I am no longer an assassin. I vowed to you that I would never pick back up the blade unless my hand was forced and it was to defend someone dear to me."_

_I looked out at the village I now called home. I had been there for thirty years, and nothing had changed. When Mario caught me running in the night, and learned of my secrets, I had told him I would help defend the city, but I would be an assassin no longer. _

_He placed a hand on my shoulder. I could tell he was shaking his head. "You, my dear, can no longer stop being an assassin than I can stop breathing. You were made immortal by the thing that Ezio now goes after. I believe now would be the time to help."_

_I shook his hand off and turned, eyes narrowed. "That is why I told you in the beginning that the thing should remain buried for all times. No one can wield its power. It will change anyone that touches it. I am walking proof of that."_

"_So reveal yourself to him. Tell him your story. He will understand and welcome your advice. Ezio has become the assassin you thought he would never have become." Mario looked at me straight faced and I knew he was serious._

"_I shall never reveal myself to another mortal. That, in itself, is asking for trouble. I could not do that to a young man who is only out for revenge." I began to walk away from him, but he called out._

"_You will regret your actions one day, Alanna. You know what happened the last time there was a war for possession on the Apple of Eden."_

_I stopped and hung my head. "That I do. Two lives were destroyed and one of those lives, I fear, may never continue."_

"_Then help us. Maybe we can find a way to revive Altair. The secret has to lie within the orb. You know as well as I do, it will be a very bad thing if it chooses a Templar to be like you." He walked over to where I had stopped. _

"_I cannot leave here, Mario. I know what is at stake. I know the dangers the Templars are. I have lived through it now for hundreds of years now." I looked at him and frowned. "I will tell you what I know, but I cannot follow him to Roma. I just cannot."_

_He gave me a small smile. "That is a start, my friend. Maybe one day you will stop hiding behind your fears and become something greater than a shadow."_

_I turned from him once more. "I will never be more than a shadow, my brother. I am nothing more than a blade in the crowd."_

"_Alanna, may I ask a favor. As a friend."_

_Turning back around, I nodded. "If I can do it, I will see to it."_

"_I will not be around forever. I am getting older every year. One day, I will die. Please befriend Ezio and show him the path. You do not have to tell him who you are. Just guide him the way you have helped me over the years." He shook his head. "Please do this for me."_

"_I will do what I can, but I will not do anything until you are gone." I locked eyes with him, and I could see that this request was the hardest thing he had ever asked of someone. "What of your sister-in-law and niece?"_

"_I will see to it that they shall always have a place here in Monteriggioni for as long as they would like." He smiled and I could not help smile back. "But if you would like to watch out for them as well, I would not complain."_

_I could not help but laugh. "I believe your nephew would keep me busy, but I will see what I can do."_

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

**Rome 1500**

_I stood next to Altair. It was the time. I had made a promise to a man that had been not a dead a year now that I would help his nephew however I could. I never planned to reveal myself to him, but Altair thought it would be best since he was going after the Apple once more. _

_Ezio stood there in a state of shock as we weaved a tale almost too strange to be true. Once we were done, he turned to me. "So, you were friends with Mario. I never saw you around the villa. Did you hide from everyone?"_

"_I did not hide. I was at the villa many of times, but always while you were away. I could not let you know who I was. Would you have believed us if you had not seen some of the things the Apple could do?"_

_He shook his dark head. "I do not believe I would."_

"_Then, you shall keep our secret then?" Altair watched him with a keen eye. He had been betrayed by many brothers in his life. _

_Ezio bowed and smiled. "I shall go to my death with your secret sealed behind my lips. It is an honor to meet you, Master Altair and Master Alanna."_

_I chuckled a bit. "I am but an assassin here to help."_

_He straightened up and looked from Altair to myself. "And what of Machiavelli? Who do we tell him you two are?"_

_I had not thought that far ahead, but to my saving grace, the Eagle of Masyaf had already come up with a plan. "You will tell the man that I am from Syria. It is the truth so you do not have to stretch it far. Alanna is pale enough to pass a woman from Italy. She and I shall be partners."_

"_And names? He will ask for them once he has met you." The boy knew to cover every detail. I was beginning to think there was nothing we would be able to teach him. _

_I looked at my Grandmaster for an answer, but he shrugged. "I do not know. I have been asleep for some time now. The names that I once knew would be old."_

_I laid my hand on his arm and smiled. "I will think of some. Let us not fret over such trivial things right now. I believe there is Borgia out there that are waiting for the meeting with Death himself." _

_Smiling, both men were ready to take on the army._

I shook my head as I thought about those memories. They were vital in why I did what I did. I had made a vow to Mario. I would watch out for Ezio. Keep him out of too much trouble. I broke that vow. Altair and I both said we would go after the Apple for him, but I now believe he was already one of us before we got to him. Or, he was changed when he claimed it from the Borgia the second time. I do not know.

The memories I had lost were coming back slowly, but they were coming back. I knew of most of the times from my awakening and up to my time in Rome. After that, it was a hodgepodge of jumbled half remembrances and visions that I could not piece together. I did not have all the parts.

The sun began to set and I watched the sky light up in a fiery blaze of colors. The one memory I had was of myself and another fellow, Sean McCoy. He was an assassin from Ireland that I worked with from time to time when I first met him in Boston in the early 1900's. I did not know the actual date. That was still a blank to me, but he always said the one thing he missed about home was the sunsets on the ocean. The feel of the salty sea air on his face as him and his siblings ran through the surf as his parents looked on.

I do not know why I connected him with this sunset, but I guess I would figure that out in time. The thing was I had many lifetimes to remember and I was only up to 1500. It was now 2022. I shook my head and reached for the coffee that I had cooling on the small patio table.

Ezio had called me earlier in the day and said everything went fine. They were on their way back. The group had to split up, but would all rendezvous back here. I was relieved that it was over, but something still bugged me about the whole thing. If they were after my mother, then why did she send me away? I could have helped her. Made sure they never would have taken her. Then I thought about that. I would have never come here and began to learn who I truly was and what I used to be.

I looked up at the sky as the darkness chased the color from the sky, blanketing the land in shadow. The creatures of the night began their songs, and I closed my eyes, letting their music soothe my frayed nerves. I had been a mess since they left. I did everything I could to keep my mind off of them being gone. Went to town, filled the fridge, and brushed the horses. Hell, I went as far as washing the cars and trucks that were here. I had to do something. I was going to lose my mind. Then I thought about that. I had already lost my mind.

The journal lay forgotten on my bed. I had not picked it back up since this started and the Apple. Ah, the lovely Apple of Eden. The bane of my existence, sat on an old candleholder on my dresser. My eyes snapped open. Could it give me the answers that I seek?

Quickly I stood, coffee long abandoned, as I raced up the stairs to my room. As I entered, I saw it there, where I had left it the day previous. Slowing, I made my way to its resting place. Should I pick it up? Did it work on touch? I had seen Ezio and Altair both use it, and they had it in their hands. Carefully, I picked it up like one would pick up a crystal ball. I held it in my hands.

"Can you tell me what befell me and caused me to be the way I am?" I looked at the golden orb.

A faint glow lit up the room and I closed my eyes.

**Acre 1193**

Blood ran down my face as I clung to the wall, trying to stay upright. I had been hasty in my retrieval of the pouch I had seen hanging from a man's belt. If I had taken the time to scout my mark, I would have seen that it was an assassin and not a scholar. My stomach hurt from the lack of food and the guards had been on high alert for days. All I wanted to do was put something warm in my belly and make sure I stayed alive for another day.

I heard distant footsteps on the roof above. He had found me, or was trailing the blood that I was leaving behind. In my mad flee from him, I hit the edge of a cart and cut myself on my scalp. The bad thing with head wounds is that they did not seem to quit bleeding.

Taking off once more, my feet pounded the earth, kicking up small amounts of dirt as I ran. I knew my life was on the line. I knew that once he caught me, I would be put to death for the crimes against him. So I ran. I heard something hit the wall behind me, but I did not turn around. I just kept running.

Around a corner, through another alleyway and back onto the roof. It felt like I had just ran through the fires of Hell from the burning I felt in my legs. I would be sore tomorrow, but if I got away, I would eat tomorrow and the day after.

Suddenly, before I could even react, something grabbed me from behind and I hit the roof, hard. I felt the thin skin on my lips split and blood entered my mouth. The coppery fluid threatened to choke me, and I half coughed, half split it out.

"You have something of mine. I want it back." The voice was male and very mad from the way I could almost hear a growl mixed in with the words.

I felt tears come to my eyes as I knew this was the end. "I will give it back. Please do not kill me."

"A woman?" The pressure on my back released as he stood.

The hood I had been wearing had protected my face from being seen, so I was not surprised that he did not know. The ill-fitting clothes did not let on as well. I could have passed as a young boy from behind.

I was lifted off the ground by the collar of my shirt and onto my feet. He spun me around and pushed the hood roughly off my head, letting the braid I wore my hair in free from its prison. I was too frightened to look up. I did not want the last thing I see to be the face of the man that would kill me then leave my body to rot on the roof. "I am sorry. I just wanted to eat." I held out the coin purse and saw my hand shake.

"Keep it."

I looked up at him. His eyes were what got to me first. A strange color, one that I had never seen another man have. My mother had a necklace that had a stone on it. She had called it amber. That was the color his eyes were. "Are you sure?"

He nodded and turned his back to me. "Just do not do it again."

"Thank you, sir." I smiled and clutched the small bag to my chest. "I will never…" But I never finished my sentence because my world began to spin and the last thing I saw was white before the darkness took my vision.

*/*/*/*/*/*

I felt something cool on my head as I came to. I opened my eyes slowly and saw the face of an older man standing over me, wiping the blood from my hair. "Ah, look who has come to, Altair. I thought she would surely have wasted away by now. Being as skinny as she is."

The assassin I stole from walked into my line of sight. "Will she recover, Rafiq?"

"Yes, yes, in time. The wound on her head was not deep. A shallow cut at best. Her mouth will be sore for a few days and swollen." The older man addressed the assassin. "Did you beat her up in your haste to get to your target?"

"No. I stole his coins and he was only trying to get them back." I went to sit up but the two men pushed me back down.

"I am not done cleaning your wounds, child." I felt water on my scalp and it felt so good I closed my eyes and thought about the time my mother would wash my hair when I was a child. "What is your name?"

"Alanna, sir. Alanna Dowd." I answered.

"Dowd huh? I knew a Dowd once. Honest man, used to work for the guard." A rag began to wipe my face clean. "You have such pale skin for living in the desert."

"My mother was an English woman. Came in from a caravan up north. My father was a guard here in the city." I told him. "She had skin as white as the fallen snow. At least that is what I remember of her."

"Was your father Daveed?" He asked and patted my shoulder. "You may sit up now."

I sat up and looked at him. "Yes. That was my baba. He died when I was ten." I turned my gaze from him.

"I knew him well. He would help the assassins when we needed it. I did not know of his passing until many weeks later. I am sorry, Alanna." He stood and I watched him leave the room.

"Would you like something to eat before you leave?" The assassin, Altair, I believe that was what the older man had called him, pointed to a small table with bread, fruits and, I sniffed the air. Was that tea?

My mouth began to water from the wonderful smells that assaulted my nostrils and my stomach rumbled painfully in my body. I felt the muscles clinch around it and nearly doubling me over. It had been two days since my last meal and at least that long before that one.

I guess he saw the pain that I was in because he walked over and picked up a roll from the table and brought it back to me. Taking it into my hands, I brought the food to my nose and inhaled the scent of the yeast and flour that went into making it.

"Do you always smell your food before you eat it?" He asked as he took a seat at the table and poured some tea in a cup.

I shook my head. "No, not really. It has been a few days since I last held food in my hands. I eat when I can steal it, the coin or when someone takes pity on me." I smiled at the roll, tore off a piece and popped it into my mouth. A smile spread across my lips, threatening to pull open the fragile skin once more. "I am sorry for taking your coin. I was not thinking when I heard it. It called to me and I just went for it."

He looked at me from deep in that hood of his. "You heard it?"

I nodded. "Yes. I have learned that sight, smell and touch are not always reliable when you are on the streets. I tend to hear things that others do not. I am also faster than most." I took another piece into my mouth and let the yeasty taste fill my mouth with joy.

"Is that how you nearly got away from me?"

"It is how I always get away. I have only been caught once and that was two years previous. Another assassin saved me from the guards who were going to kill me. One minute I was getting roughed up by them, and the next, they were dead and the man was walking away. I never did get to tell him thank you." Standing, my legs were a bit wobbly, but they held my meager weight. "May I have another?"

He nodded and pointed to the other chair. "Take a seat and eat."

"Thank you for your kindness. I am in your debt. If there is anything I can do for you in return, do not hesitate to find me and ask. I know Acre better than most." I sat down opposite of him and picked up another roll.

The edge of his lip turned up, showing a scar that cut through both lips. "I will keep that in mind."

I smiled and began to eat another roll.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

A few hours later, I climbed up to the roof of the small building after thanking the two men once again. The older man that knew my father handed me a small sack with some food and fruit and wished me well. The assassin, Altair, nodded his head and walked away. His coin purse tucked inside my sack.

Walking along the edge of the roof, I pulled out a piece of fruit and bit into the juicy pulp that lay just under the thin skin. I had not had this much food in many years.

"Hey you! You are not supposed to be up here!" I heard a guard yell from a distant rooftop.

I turned my head in his direction and saw him notch an arrow. Dropping the fruit, I took off in a dead run. I knew these rooftops better than they did and I would not let them catch me. Dipping into an alley, I swung from the beams, hit the ground, rolled carefully as to not crush my cargo and was on my feet running once more. Turning a corner, I ran out into the empty marketplace and across to another alley.

I did not stop until I got all the way back to the burnt out hovel I called my home. Sliding down the wall, I tried to get my breathing under control. I was still weak, but I was now safe, or so I thought. Someone walked across the roof and I grabbed for the only thing I had of my father's. The dagger he always carried on him when he was on patrol. The one day he did not have it because it was being repaired, a man stabbed him in the back.

Holding it like he showed me many years ago, I slowly got to my feet and looked through the wooden slates. I could not see who it was, but judging from the weight they bore, they had weapons. Looking at the dagger, I knew if they found me down here I would be done for. Creeping towards the door, I bent down and grabbed my sack. The footfalls stopped and then they landed in the dirt behind me.

I swung the blade around and it clashed against metal. My eyes saw steel and white robes. "You were not lying when you said you were fast. And could hear well."

Pulling the blade back, I let it rest at my hip. "You gave me quite the fright. How may I help you?"

"Actually, I would like to help you one more time. I want to train you. I want you to become an assassin."

**Present Day**

I blinked my eyes rapidly to clear the vision from my waking eye. I knew I had been recruited by Altair, but in my journal, I never went into much detail. Looking at the Apple in my hand, the glow was gone, and the golden skin was cool to the touch.

Placing it back on the dresser, I smiled at the memory. I was saved by Altair not once, but twice. Once from starvation and the second from myself. I believe if I had stayed on the streets, I would have died there. My body lying dead and bloated by the sun for many days before they dumped me in an unmarked grave. He gave me a new life and a fresh start.

Walking back downstairs, I made it to the kitchen when I heard the gravel crunching outside in the drive. Two cars were coming up the driveway. I smiled. They were finally back.

**Alright, I have internet back! I was going to the local McDonald's and using theirs, but mine is back on at home. Now I can update when I get the chapters done. Enjoy!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Rome 1504**

"_They are attacking Tiber Island!"_

_Altair, Ezio and I vaulted to our feet. We had been talking with Bartolomeo and La Volpe when a novice assassin ran into the barracks. He was bent over and out of breath. _

"_Slow down, son. Take a breath. What is happening?" Ezio stood in front of the young man. _

"_The Borgia. They are marching on Tiber Island as we speak. I was sent to find you. We must hurry, Master." He tried to stand upright, but nearly fell over from exhaustion. I caught him. _

"_You men head out. I will be along shortly." I helped the young man to a seat. _

_Altair grabbed my arm. "We will need you there."_

_I smiled at him. We had become the best of friends since he awoke. "I will be along shortly. Do not fret." He nodded and ran out the door. I turned to the young man once more. "Get some rest. We shall take care of the Borgia."_

_Taking off out the door, I grabbed the nearest horse and mounted the beast. It ran when I gave it rains and did not stop until I was nearly on top of the Borgia forces. Jumping from the saddle, I climbed to the top of the nearest building to get a better view of what I was about to face. That was when I saw them; they were getting ready to march onto the forces of the small army that was wanting nothing more than to kill every assassin in Roma. _

_Leaping from my perch, I landed in the soft blond hay and ran as fast as my leg would carry me. I would not let them hurt my friends. I would not let them hurt my family. They were all I had anymore. I would have laid down my life if I could for them and more. I was here to liberate Roma. I would not let them stand in my way. _

_I dove off the top of the cliff into the front lines, spooking the horses, who reared up and dismounted a few of the riders. That was when the surrounding assassins fired their arrows. I hid under the body of a soldier to keep from being hit. I knew one major wound would out me as an immortal and I could not let that happen. I wanted to save these people, not scare them._

_Pushing the dead man off of me, I began the slow butchering of the forces around me. _

_Altair made it to my back. "I see you did not wait very long in joining us." His sword, his true sword, landed in the top of some poor bastard's head. I parried an attack with my sword and drove my hidden blade under the man's chin. _

"_Do you think I would have stayed away from this? This is what we do. This is who we are." I swung my sword around and decapitated another man._

_He stood at my back and kept them away from my back and in turn, I did the same for him. "Keep your guard up. The last time we fought like this, I had a sword ran through my gut. I do not want to explain that if it was to happen again." _

"_Do not speak to me about staying on guard, you reckless woman. Watch my back, if you will." He planted his sword into the heart of a man and I could hear the slurping sound as the blade was withdrawn from the corpse. _

"_I will always watch your back, my friend." _

_The bloody dance went on for a bit longer until the men called for a retreat. We stood there, covered in other men's blood, breathing heavy. I felt his hand land on my shoulder, threatening to topple me. "You fought well."_

_I smiled up at him. "As did you. Now, hopefully we will have a day of rest after this battle. I do not think the Borgia will want to lose any more men."_

_He laughed and retracted his arm. "Come, let us clean up and eat. I may have eternal life, but my stomach does not."_

Standing on the porch, I watched the two vans pull up the drive. I had been going out of my mind with worry, wondering when they were going to show up, but now that wait was over. But when they stopped short of the house, I knew something was not right. Men poured out of the back, automatic weapons drawn. I took off into the house. They were here for me, and the others.

"She has to be here somewhere." I heard one of them say. "Be careful. She is dangerous."

As if. I was only dangerous up close and with the firepower they were carrying I would not be able to do that. Running to my room, I grabbed the Apple and shoved it into the closet. I had to keep them away from this room, but I did not know how. Reaching deep inside, I thought about what I used to be. I was an assassin. I struck from the darkness. A blade in the crowd.

"Think, think, think!" I whispered as I stood behind the closed door. "What would I have done before?" I ground my teeth in frustration and tried to remember any training that I could.

Kill the power. Make them blind. The thought popped in my head and it was a good one. I smiled and walked over to the dresser. A dagger sat there and I grabbed it. It felt natural in my hand, like it was a part of me. I would only use it if I had to, and only then.

Jumping out the second story window, I rolled back on my feet once I hit the bottom. I knew the fuse box was in the laundry room on the back of the house, but they were all over the first floor trying to find me. I would have to get past a few of them to get to the panel.

Creeping to the back door, I peeked through the window to see at least four of them standing in the other room. Shit! I ducked back down, and cursed silently. How in the world did they find this place? Altair had told me this place was safe. Off the grid.

Looking down at the dagger, I knew of only one solution. They needed to die.

**Ezio**

I slammed on the brakes as we rolled up into the drive. Two white cargo vans were parked on the drive, blocking the way to the house. I threw it in park and climbed out. Altair climbed out the driver's seat of the second car. He walked up to me, gun in his right hand.

"What the hell is going on here?" I asked as I pulled the SIG out of the hip holster and cocked it.

"I don't know, but the house is dark and I don't hear anything." He looked back at the others and waved them up.

Rebecca, Dawson, Tom, Desmond and Conner walked up to us. Kate stood back at the car and watched the house, one hand over her mouth.

"We need to find out what happened here and where Alanna is." I turned back to the house.

"Surround the house and storm it. We need to find Alanna." Altair headed for the house and the rest followed.

There were only three doors on the ground floor of the old house. The front door, which was rarely used by any, the kitchen door, which was the main door in and out, and the door that lead to the mud room, or the laundry room, which we used a lot as well. I entered through the kitchen along with Conner. Rebecca, Dawson, and Desmond headed for the back of the house where the laundry room was, and Altair went through the front door with Tom.

I had just entered and had my gun level, I heard Alanna's voice flow from the darkness, but there was something wrong. It sounded almost, hollow. "Careful, there are a few bodies in here."

"Where are you and where are the lights?" I asked.

I heard a sigh and a chair scrape the floor. She had been sitting at the table. "I flipped the main breaker off. I could not get away from them, and they had guns. So I took away their sight."

"I found Alanna." I called out into the house. "Becca, flip the power back on. The panel is next to the washer."

A moment later, the lights came back on and I had to step away from her. She was covered from head to toe in blood. She looked down at herself, and shook her head. "Most of its mine, I think. It could be theirs, but I know I was cut a few times."

Walking over to her, I could see confliction in her eyes, like she did not believe what she had just done. "Alanna, why don't you sit down for a few minutes?"

She chuckled, but it lacked warmth. It was a reflex. "I have been sitting here in the dark for a couple hours now. They came right after the sun went down. I think they were trying to catch me off guard, or lay and ambush for you guys. Either way they know about us and where we are."

At that time, the others walked in, careful of the bodies in the way. Altair walked to her side and she looked up at him. "Are you alright?" He pushed the hair off her face.

Nodding, she looked around. "I'm fine. I think I need a shower." Pushing past him, she walked from the room, bare feet trailing blood across the hardwood floor.

"What in the world happened here?" Conner asked as he looked around the small kitchen. Three bodies lay in pools of their own blood, and a forth lay between the living room and kitchen.

"They came here for us, and got slaughtered by Alanna." I sat the gun down and shook my head. "We need to get rid of them, clean this up and get the hell out of here. There is no telling how many more are going to be coming after us now."

Everyone began to pick a job. Rebecca and Desmond elected to take the vans far out into the mountains and get rid of them. Dawson would follow them in one of the trucks to bring them back. I handed Tom a set of keys to one of the trucks and he went to get it and backed it up to the porch. Kate sat with Alanna in her room. She was now not talking to anyone, or really coherent.

As we began to load the bodies into the bed of the pickup, I looked at Altair. "How do you think they found us?"

He shrugged and threw the body into the bed of the truck. "I have no clue. This place isn't even deeded in any name associated to me or anyone else. It's under a shell company and that line goes nowhere if you go far enough. There is no way they could have found this place unless they followed us, had a man near here in town, or they can track us."

I wiped the sweat off my face with the back of my arm. "We need to find out how. That way this does not happen again. I need to get back to Jenna. Where will you guys head?"

"I have a place in Texas. It's a small place, sits in the middle of nowhere. We can head there." Conner walked out, a body slung over his shoulder. "It's the only place I know of that they won't find us. I have it registered under a friend's name. She knows who I am. We will be fine there." He disposed of the body atop the others.

"Once we get done here, we will pack and head out." Altair leaned against the house and shook his head. "This is a nightmare."

"You said it, brother." Conner sat in one of the chairs, letting his arms rest on his bent knees.

Tom pulled up in the other pickup with the bobcat attached to the trailer. "Where am I digging the hole?" He called from the driver's window.

"Out in the field. We need it far enough away from the house that if they come out here they won't find it right away." I told him and he nodded. "Let's follow him out and get this over with."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

A couple hours later, the house was cleaned up to the best of our abilities. We all had showered and disposed of any evidence of what happened here. Bags were being packed and cars loaded. I grabbed my bags and threw them into the small sedan I brought.

"Call the moment you get back. Keep us in the loop." Altair shut the trunk for me.

"Will do. You do the same when you get down to Conner's place." I held out my hand and he grasped my forearm. I did the same. "Safety and peace, Altair."

"Upon you as well, Ezio." He nodded and released me.

Climbing into the car, I backed it out of the spot it was in and drove down the driveway. I didn't know when I would get to see them again, but I knew we were all in danger still.

**Conner**

Everything had been loaded into four cars. I looked at the controlled chaos with a critical eye. The two horses had been loaded into a trailer. I was against leaving them, so was Altair. Every piece of gear that could be used was stored in the false bottom of the truck bed and trailer floor. Dawn was nearing when everything was ready.

I threw the last bag into the trunk of the Mustang. It was being trailered down because of an oil leak. We could not afford to have it break down on the road. Desmond wheeled his motorcycle out of the barn and into the bed of the trunk.

"I think that is the last of it." He yawned and I was feeling the same. We had not slept in over a day, and it was taking its toll.

Walking back into the house, everyone else was sitting around the table. Altair raised his head and looked at us as we walked in. "I have four routes planned for us to get to your place." He handed us the papers. "New identities for now, and so on."

"I hope you scheduled a sleep stop soon because we are running on an empty tank here." I yawned and shook my head. I was really tired.

He nodded. "Already made the reservations."

I smirked. "Damn you're a good man… despite what everyone else says."

"Ha ha." Shaking his head, he turned to everyone else. "We have four cars. There are eight of us right now. Breaking down into teams of two is the best plan."

Rebecca looked up from her drink. "So, who is with whom?"

Standing up, I heard his back pop and winced. I knew he had been bent over that map of awhile. "Pick your partner. I don't really care who is with whom." Opening the fridge, he grabbed a Mt. Dew and cracked the top open.

Dawson looked over at his wife. "I have Becca."

Well that was a given. "Kate, would you like to ride with me?" I smiled at the older woman. She nodded in return.

"Hey Des, want to be riding buddies?" Tom asked from his place at foot of the table.

"Sure, and that leaves Alanna with the old man." Desmond smiled at Altair, who flipped him off for calling him old man.

No one wanted Alanna with them right now. At the moment she was in her room, still in a state of shock from what she had done the night before. Kate had finally got her to lay down and get some sleep. I couldn't really blame her. She was like a new person and now she had to take a life. Well, not a life. It was more like she slaughtered thirteen guys last night and only ended up with one bullet to the leg and a few cuts on her arms. We ended up having to tell Kate what we were because she was going hysterical when she saw the wounds. They were almost healed by now.

"Conner, can I have a word with you a minute?" Altair looked at me.

He never asked to talk to me alone. It must be important. "Sure." I followed him out the back door and down to where the cars were parked. "What's on your mind?"

"Keep an eye on Kate. I know she had ties to the Templars, and then she came to our cause, but a few men have done that in the past only to double agents." He leaned against the bed of the truck and shook his head. "I still have not figured out how they found us here."

I leaned on the truck next to him. "You know as well as I do that if Abstergo wants something bad enough they will find a way to get it. They want our secrets and a Piece of Eden. They want Desmond, or they want the Apple. It makes no difference to them." They had told me about everything on the way to get Kate. How they tried to stop Desmond from getting the Apple and how everyone has been involved in one form or another. It was enough to make your head spin on trying to keep track of all the things that they have done in the hundreds of years they have been alive.

"I know, but if they try and go after Des, they are dead. The boy has gotten better since that day I met him in Monteriggioni. I know you can hold your own against them, but I hate having mortals caught up in this war." He growled and stood straight. "I have tried since the moment I awoke to eradicate the bastards from the world and not a bit of what I have done has made a damn bit of difference."

I kicked a small rock with the toe of my gym shoe. "I have been doing the same. You and I are a lot alike. I know you do not want to hear that, but it is the truth. My father was an assassin who turned to the Templars. I believe your master, Al Mualim, did the same thing. I ended up killing him. You did the same. We both know about betrayal. I don't like it and I know you don't either. We are fighting a losing war. There are not a lot of assassins left and the Templars grow every year."

He glared at me, but I could tell it was not a mean glare. It was one that I pointed out the truth and he did not like it being brought to the light. "Look, all I am saying is that we need a new plan of attack. The only reason I am talking to you about this is because you have been fighting them for a few hundred years. Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against Des. He's a good kid that got the shit end of the stick and he has shaped up to be a good asset to the team, but he has only been in this war for ten years. We have been doing it for a few lifetimes.

"Ezio is going to find out what he can about Abstergo tracking us when he gets back to his place. I am no spy like he is. I am the soldier that kicks in the door and put a bullet in the bad guy's head. I hate change almost as much as I hate Templars." Altair frowned and looked up at the sky. "But enough about that. We need to get moving. Just keep an eye on her."

He began to walk away, but I called out. "You do know that she didn't know where this place was until we brought her here yesterday, right?" He stopped, turned and looked at me. "Just saying."

"Shut up and leave my paranoia alone."

**Hello again! To tell the truth, I had like six chapters done over the weekend. Then I read them, didn't like the direction and deleted them. I started over, but I like this way better. More action, more humor and there will be more **


	13. Chapter 13

**You wanted it and you shall have it! Another chapter and another memory! I am having fun with this and being able to update when I want it a plus! On with the show!**

** Rome**** 1507**

"_Where shall we go now?" I asked as I slipped the sword into its scabbard. _

"_I do not know. North maybe. The Templars have begun to amass there again. We shall travel there and rid the world of them." He looked up from the map that was spread out on the table. _

_Walking over to him, I touched his shoulder. "I guess we should go say our goodbyes to Ezio, Claudia and the others."_

_He nodded, and walked with me out the door. Ezio sat behind his chair, brow furrowed and fist clinched. He heard our footsteps and looked up at us. "I take it you are ready to depart?"_

_I nodded. "We have stayed too long, I'm afraid. Someone might notice that we do not age and we have no scars for the wounds we sustain. I am sorry, but it is how it must be until we are released." I wished it was not so, but it was the way it was. I could not change it any more than I could change the rising of the sun._

_Ezio nodded and stood. "Then, it was an honor to have worked with you and I wish you luck on your journeys, my friends." He held out his hand and Altair shook it._

_I walked over to him and gave him a hug, and kissed his cheek. "I wish you joy in the years to come, my brother."_

"_And the same to you, my sister." He bowed. _

_We did the same, gathered our belongings and said the last of our goodbyes. Once out of the city, we turned to see Rome once more. "I will miss this city." I sighed._

"_As will I, but as you said, our time has come. We have stayed on for seven years now. It is time to move on." Altair turned his horse and heeled it into a slow trot. _

_I caught up to him, and trotted along the side of him. "So, I guess we are partners then?"_

_He chuckled. "So I guess we are."_

I watched the mountains dwindle to foothills and the foothills dwindle to flat plains from the car window. We had been driving for several hours now. No real conversation. They all thought I was unstable now, but I was just coming to terms with what I had done. I felt no remorse for the lives I took the night pervious. They were there to do harm to me, and in return, I sent them to the God they prayed to.

It was disturbing to say the least, but it was the fact of life, I guess. People died. Either by old age, accident, or going up against the Assassins. I was not proud of what I had done, but I was not remorseful. Did that make me a bad person? I do not believe it did.

"Alanna, would you like to talk?"

I took my eyes from the view of my window and looked at him. "They think I have lost my mind, don't they?"

"Who are you talking about?" His eyes never left the road.

"Everyone. I mean I shut down last night, but it wasn't for the reason everyone thinks. I just didn't know what to think at that time. I mean, I never wanted to take a life, this is true, but it was me or them. I chose me." I shook my head and then brushed the stray hairs I shook loose behind my ears.

He grabbed his pop, took a drink and sat it back down in the holder. "I know what you mean. I did the same thing when I took my first life."

I looked back at him. "But the difference is I killed thirteen in one go. You killed what one? I think there is a big difference there."

"This is true, but if you are not affected by it, then why are you stressing over it?" His eyes drifted to me for a moment, then back at the road ahead.

I exhaled and leaned back in the seat. "I'm not really. It's just I don't know what to think."

"Then quit thinking. You can get mad at me if you want, but you are overanalyzing this. If you keep running it through your head, it will eat you alive." Altair turned off the nearest exit.

I looked at him. "Why are we turning off?"

"You'll see." He shot me a sideways grin and headed into the small town that was off the freeway.

I just watched the buildings pass and looked at the people. What was he up to? I hadn't figured it out yet, but he had my curiosity piqued. Pulling up to the curb, he shut down the car and looked at me. "Get out and come on."

I did as he asked and followed him around into an alley. He stopped at the back of the building, and looked up. "What are you doing?"

"Climb." He began to scale the building and I just watched him for a minute like he had lost his mind, but my curiosity got the best of me and I followed him up the back of the building.

When I reached the top, he helped me to my feet, and led me to the front of the building. We stood close to the edge, but not close enough for people to see us.

I looked at him. "Why are we up here?"

"Why do we fight?"

"Huh?" I didn't understand what he was getting at.

He exhaled, hung his head for a minute, and then turned to me. "Why do we fight the Templars?"

"To protect free will in all forms." I rolled my eyes. "But that does not explain why you have me on a damn roof in a small town where the tallest building is four stories high."

"You protected yourself last night, correct?" I nodded. "If you had not, they would tried to kill you, or they would have captured you and tried to take away your free will. You are an assassin, Alanna. We protect free will. Look at it that way."

I shook my head. "There's a difference. I. Can't. Die. They could."

"This is true and they know that. So they would have shot you, let you bleed out, then took you with them and turned you into their lab rat. Cut you open. See how you tick. Now, I have never been experimented on and I hope I never do, but I am pretty sure we do not grow back body parts or survive decapitation." He looked out over the small town. "They would have used you to find a way to become like us or to find a way to kill us."

I had not thought about that. "So what you are trying to tell me is that what I did last night was justified. I fighting back and ending their lives saved all of ours."

"Yes. Who do we fight for?" He asked as he took a seat in the gravel the covered the roof.

"The people." I sat down next to him.

"And if the Templars were all dead?"

"Then free will would be preserved." I did not know where he was going with this. "Will you just get to the point?"

"Fine and you call me inpatient. If we destroy the Templars, free will be saved, but if they win, the people would be under their control." He leaned back on his hands and stretched his feet out in front of him. "I think we were created as a fail-safe. A 'just in case' plan if they ever did win."

Now he had my head spinning. "When did you go all philosophical?" I smiled.

He grinned and closed his eyes. "I have my moments. This is one of them."

We sat on the roof of that building for a while, soaking up the sun's rays. It was nice to just sit here and relax, but I knew it was getting on in the day. "We had better get down and back on the road. If we don't show up around the time we are supposed to, they will come looking for us." Standing up, I brushed the dust from the back of my pants.

He did the same, but as I was heading to the back of the building, he grabbed my hand. "Thanks for listening to my lecture."

I smiled and squeezed his hand. "What you said helped. Thank you for putting in perspective."

Releasing my hand he jumped from the building, landed in a roll and back on his feet. I did the same and we headed out of the alley, but at the end, he held up his arm to stop me. Looking around the edge of the building, there was two men that sat in a bench down the street. You could tell they did not fit into the small town scene with their sunglasses and fresh clothes.

"Templars, I believe." He whispered. I nodded.

We retreated deeper into the alley again. "How in the hell are they finding us? I thought Ezio searched the car for trackers?"

"He did, but they are finding us another way." He reached for his gun, but then a curse word escaped his lips. "I left the damn thing in the car."

"Do you think we can escape them?" I looked down the alley and saw a few shadows move. I grabbed his arm and ran around to the backside of the building.

We climbed the building once more, and hid on the roof. "I don't know. We could try and distract them, get them away from the car, lose them and get the hell out of here, but that is risky."

"Well, I don't think we have a choice, Altair. We have to get out of here. We are too cut off and isolated here." I crouched down and made it to the edge. "They are gone. They must have been the ones coming into the alley."

He came over to where I was and looked as well. "I have a knife on me, the gun in the car and three of the hidden blades in the trunk." I lifted a brow when he said three. "I didn't know if you would ever want to carry one again, but I brought two extra just in case."

Oh, now I understood. "So what are we going to do about the guys below?"

"Get the hell away from them, to start with." He scanned the area. The buildings were close enough together that we could easily jump from one roof to the next, but we had to get their attention first. I think we were thinking a like because he turned back to me. "If we stay on the rooftops, but have them see us, they are going to follow. Once we make it down a few buildings, I want you to double back, get the car and meet me at. I will lose them and meet you at the," He scanned again and pointed. "water tower over there. Just be ready to get moving when I jump in."

I nodded and picked up two pebbles. "Would you like to throw the first stone?" I asked grinning.

"I would be honored." He smiled back and plucked it from my hand.

We found them in the back, trying to find a way up. So they were not trained in the way we were. This was good. I threw my pebble down after Altair threw his. Both hit where they were aimed. "Hey boys, are you looking for us?" I smiled down at them and we took off running.

Over the rooftops we ran. I couldn't help but smile because it reminded me of when I would run from the guards. It had been a long time since I ran like this, I knew that now. My heart raced and I could feel my body wanting to give more, but I held back. I had to turn around in a minute to get the car.

Sliding to a stop at the edge of the last roof, he nodded at me and I took off the opposite direction. Closer to the front because I knew they would be moving down the back alley.

The car was coming up. I could see it as I jumped the building. I made the jump, rolled to feet, ran the last bit of distance and climbed down the fire escape. Peeking around the edge of the building, I saw that the coast was clear and got in the driver's seat. Pulling the keys from my pocket, I jammed them into the ignition and threw it into drive. Thank you Altair for parking at the alley.

Driving towards the water tower, I saw him jump across the street, using a passing semi as a landing in the middle. One guy followed. I was pretty sure the second guy was either dead or disabled. They saw me fly past and he pulled out a radio. Son of a… I hit the excelerater harder, wishing we had a faster car.

Right at the water tower, I came to a stop, and he jumped in. "Drive!"

No need to tell me twice. I punched the gas and flew out of town. I slowed down only when we were several miles away. We came to a stop so he could take over the driving.

"Well, that was so much fun that I do not want to repeat that today." He sighed and took off again, slower this time.

"I will agree with you there. So, what are we going to do now?" I asked as I took a drink from the bottle of tea I had.

"Use a payphone and call Conner. Tell him to be on the lookout for anyone else. I don't think we will be meeting up with them for a few days. Not until I am sure that we are clean." He turned down a country road and drove down it.

"How in the world did they find us? I mean first the ranch and now here?" I wanted answers.

"We were the last to leave the ranch. All of us left at different times and different directions. Since they had trucks, they went out the back way, and we had the only car. We had to go out the drive. They must have spotted us and followed us. That is the only thing I can think of." He ran his hand through his hair. "We need to get back on the freeway, but not from the same exit we came off of."

"The only thing I can tell you is to find a gas station and ask where we are. I didn't get a look at the name of the town we stopped in." So the map would do us no good at this point in the game.

"I agree. Besides, we need to fill up again."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

After gassing up, finding out where we were, calling Conner and letting him know what was going on, we decided to find a motel for the night. I had to agree with him because I was tired. All of the running we did made me realize how out of practice I was at all of this.

The motel he chose was near the highway. He got us a room, food and then parked the car a mile away. That way they would not find out where we were right away.

I stretched out on the bed, eating the burgers he had picked up. He came in the door, soaking wet. "I started to rain on the way back."

I put my hand over my mouth to try and stop my laughing. He looked so pathetic. "You look like the time I pulled you into the river in Rome."

He glared at me and began to pull off his shoes. "Do not go there. I cannot believe you did that to me when you knew I could not swim."

Standing up, I walked into the bathroom and grabbed a towel. "I forgot at the time. I was not thinking about that when I was running from the guards Ezio had chasing us."

He took the towel from my outstretched hand. "Yeah, whatever." But I could see the smile on his face.

I took a seat on the bed and grabbed his bag. "Get out of those wet clothes, into some dry ones and enjoy some food." I pulled out a shirt, underclothes and sweats. "Hopefully your shoes dry by morning."

Grabbing his clothes, he walked into the bathroom. A few moments later, he walked out and flopped down on the other side of the bed. "Pass me the food, woman."

Reaching over I smacked him lightly. "I have a name, you prick." I had a smile on my face, so he knew I was playing with him.

"I know, and I know you hate being called woman. So that is why I do it." He smirked and held out a hand.

"You had better ask nicely or I am going to eat them all myself." I was really liking this little game.

He growled at me. "I am hungry. Would you kindly pass me the bag so I can eat and fall asleep?"

I handed him the bag. "Much better. Thank you for asking."

He pulled one of the burgers from the bag and promptly shoved it into his mouth.

**I will be honest. I had like six chapters done over the course of last week, but I got to reading them and did not like the direction they were taking the story. So I deleted them and started anew. I like these. More humor, more action and more picking on Altair about his paranoia! Yeah! Anyway, I hope you have liked the story up to this point. There will be more Abstergo action to come so stay tuned!**

***SassierSphinx***


	14. Chapter 14

**Desmond**

"Yeah, I heard ya. I will keep an eye out. Thanks Altair." I hung up the phone and slapped it against my forehead. "Wonderful, just wonderful."

Tom looked over at me, eyebrow cocked and a question in his lips. I sighed and sat the phone next to me on the seat. "Before you ask, Altair just called. They picked up a tail. They were heading for a motel for the night and ditching their car in the morning."

"What the hell?" He started looking at his window and I looked out the rear view mirror.

"I know. If we pick up a tail, I don't give a fuck if that car had an oil leak or not, we are taking it and running like hell." I signaled my lane change and got into the slow lane.

"So what's so damn special about that car? I have never heard the whole story behind it. Altair has held on to that car for like forever." Tom looked in his mirror again then popped some Combos in his mouth.

I held out my hand and he put some in it. I popped one in my mouth. "The car was Alanna's to start off with. She found it and restored it. When the shit went down ten years ago, the car was shot up and pretty much a wreck. He told her he would fix it. Well, after the explosion, he went back to his cabin, burned it to the ground, and took the car back to the ranch. Spent I know a good month on it every day. The last day of him working on it, once the hood was closed, paint dried, and chrome pieces put back in place, he fired up the car.

"Now, we thought he was going to take it for a test drive. Yeah, a nine and a half year long killing spree test drive that finally ended six months ago." I put another one of the cylinder pretzels in my mouth and crunched down on it.

"That's where he went. I guess that was shortly after I left with Becca and Dawson. Damn, you guys didn't hunt him down?" He asked as he moved around in the seat. "This damn thing is not that comfortable."

I would agree with him there. I ended up with the Ford F-250. The seat was not that great for long trips. Now, I drove it a lot when I was going to get feed for the horses, but clear across the country? Yeah, now I wish I had the Ram. It was really comfy and had a bit more room. "I feel you there. I should have taken the Ram and made Dawson pull the Mustang."

He laughed in the passenger seat. "So, when is our next pull off?"

"What? You gotta pee?" I grinned at him. It was nice to talk to someone that was not going to yell back or call me a boy.

He shrugged. "My ass is numb, and I need out of this truck. I have always done horrid on long trips. Even as a kid. Drove my parents nuts when we had to go anywhere."

"Hell, at least you got to go places. I wasn't allowed to leave the Farm." I scowled and watched the road. I hated that place even today, but I now knew why I was not allowed to leave.

He snapped his fingers. "That's right. You were a farm kid. That had to suck. My folks stayed on one of the compounds for a few months when I was little, but they couldn't handle the isolation."

And that was the reason I left. The isolation, not getting to talk to the outside world. I enjoyed my freedom until I was caught by Abstergo. That was the only shitty part of being off the compound. "I think I am going to pull off here in a few minutes. I need fresh pop and might as well top off the tank." It was sitting at a half, but with Abstergo on the lookout for us, it would be better to have a full tank if they did find us and we had to run.

"Sounds good to me." He leaned back in the seat and shifted again.

I kept my eyes open for a good exit ramp to pull off on, but we were in the middle of Kansas. There was nothing here. I sighed and scrubbed my eyes. I was getting tired. I had been driving since this morning when we left. "You are going to take over when we stop. I need a bit of shut eye."

He nodded and polished off the bag of Combos. I just shook my head. I would say he was a walking stomach, but that was an understatement. I knew why Ezio, Altair, Conner, myself and to some extent, Alanna, ate so much. Ezio told me that we burn more calories than the average person because our metabolism was running high all the time. It was the immortality thing. We could push our bodies to the breaking point without taking lasting damage. A blessing and a curse.

We lapsed into silence for a while. The rich fields flew past the window and I reached over a cranked up the radio. One of my favorite songs came on and I nodded my head to the hard drums. Tom just looked at me. "What? I like hard rock. Comes from hanging in the bars all the time."

"Man, I thought they were joking when all of you were alike in one way or another. All of you guys like hard rock. That was all Altair would listen to on the way back." He moved again and looked out the window. "Look, a gas station in two miles."

That brought a smile to my face. I was glad to see the sign as much as he was. "Thank you." I cheered. I had to get out of this truck.

"So are we going in packing or leaving them in the car?" He asked as I turned on the signal.

"We are going to be carrying knives. I don't think you can carry guns into gas stations." Pulling off the highway, I signaled left and made the light. The gas station was on the right hand side of the street and I got into the lot with little trouble.

We both fell out of the truck when I shut it off. Topping off the tank, we chatted as we walked into the station. A pretty girl was behind the register. She gave me a smile and a wink as I walked in. I returned the smile and walked back to the cooler to get a pop.

"Des, I think that girl likes you. She has been watching you since we walked in." He nudged me with his shoulder. I couldn't help but grin at him.

"She is pretty hot, but we are running for our lives right now." I grabbed some pop and an energy drink from the cooler.

He grabbed some too. "No, let's rephrase that. I am running for my life. You are running with me. If they shoot at me, no offence, I am pulling you in front of me." He smirked and turned to walk up front.

"Hey!" I caught up to him. "That's not cool."

He laughed and put his stuff on the counter. "You'll be fine. I have seen you take worse."

This was true, but I hated being a human bullet catcher. Having them removed hurt worse than being shot because pain meds did not work on us. The healing factor in all of its glory. "Yeah, I know but still not cool."

He just smiled at me and then turned to the cashier. She smiled at me and I returned it again. Telling me my total, I handed her some cash from my wallet. That was what we were all going on right now. No plastic at all. No buying anything that required the use of an ID.

When she handed me my change back, there was a slip of paper in it. I waited until I got outside and into the passenger seat to look at it. It was the girl's number. I looked at it and through the window. She waved at me as we drove away.

"What's that?" Tom asked as he turned back onto the highway.

I laughed. "Her number."

He reached for it, but I held it out of his reach. "Are you going to call her?"

"Yeah right." I shook my head. "Uh that would make an interesting date. She would ask what I did for a living and I would say, 'Well, I am an immortal assassin who is in an all-out war with Abstergo'. I would end up in the loony bin faster than you can devour food."

He scratched his head, shrugged and set the cruise. "Wow that is pretty fast."

I slouched in the seat and readied myself for a shitty nap.

**Ezio**

I pulled in the drive and Jenna came walking out of the house, Marcus at her heels. He saw me and squealed. I knelt down and caught him as he ran to me. "Daddy's home!"

I picked him up and held him close. He was my world. Him and Jenna both. She walked over and accepted a kiss. "So, how is everything so far?"

Walking in the house, I shut the door behind us. "They found Altair and Alanna."

"Did they..?" She looked at me with those blue eyes of hers.

Shaking my head, I sat Marcus down. "They got away. Both of them are fine and will be back on the road in the morning."

She exhaled the breath she was holding. "That's good. How did they find them?"

"That is the part I am still wondering." I ran my hand through my hair and shook my head. "I just don't get it. I was the first to leave. They would have followed me, but they followed them instead."

We walked into the kitchen and Jenna got a juice from the fridge for Marcus, who took it with a smile and walked off to play with his toys, leaving us to talk. "Do you think it was Kate?"

I had been keeping her up to date on everything that had been going on. I shook my head. "No, I don't think so. I had a talk with her before I left. She left because of what they were doing to the people that they took. She say first-hand what the Animus was doing to their minds. It was her information that helped the Brotherhood find Desmond."

Taking a seat at the table, she unrolled a map of the United States. Pointing to an area on the map, I saw it was the ranch. "This is where you guys were, and this is where they are heading," She ran her finger down to Conner's place, "but this is where the fight ten years took place." And she pointed to the site we blew up.

"So, I know where they all are, Jen." I looked at her.

"Ezio, you know I am good with patterns. Look at where Alanna turned up at." She pointed to Golden, Colorado. "It's only a hundred miles or so from that site. She told you she rode the trains and everything, but why would she stay in the same area that she was trying to get away from?"

I stood next to her over the map, and looked at the area she was talking about. My eyes widened. "Are you saying they may have found her before she woke up?"

Shrugging, she looked me in the face. "I got ahold of one of the assassins that was on the inside of Abstergo until just a few years ago. He told me they had been doing a top secret project in Denver and that only the heads of the company could access it. The files he stole were encrypted. No one has been able to break that code. Maybe you or Rebecca could give it a go."

I shook my head. "Not me, but I know Rebecca could. I am good at computers, but not like she is."

"Good, because I have the files here." And she pulled a flash drive out of her pocket. "I had him bring it to me when I found out. William is going to be pissed that I have it."

"And I love you for it." I kissed her deeply. "I think you just broke this wide open, my angel."

Blushing she pushed me away. "You had better email it to her right away. I think it will take a lot to crack it, and you guys are on borrowed time as it is."

I rushed to the computer room in the basement and dialed Rebecca's cell. She answered after two rings. "You need to find a wireless hotspot. I have a few files you need to decrypt."

'_What are you going on about?_' She sounded half asleep.

"Jenna got some information from one of our friends. Just pull up your email in a bit and you will get all the info you need, alright?" I began to type feverously at the keyboard and inserted the drive into the tower. "I hope you can do something with it."

'_I'll see what I can do. I don't have the good tech on me. That is in the trailer with Conner, but the computer I have should do the trick. Hopefully.'_

"I hope you are right. We need this as fast as you can get it done." I hit send and sighed. "I just sent it to you. Can you get back to me when you manage it?"

'_Will do. I will have Dawson stop here shortly and I'll take a look.'_

"Thanks Becca, you are a lifesaver." I smiled at the phone. She was the best at what she did.

'_You say that now. Just give me a bit, alright? I will talk to you soon.'_ And she hung up the phone.

I sat mine on the desk, and looked at it for a minute. Picking it back up, I dialed Altair's number. Two rings, three rings, four rings later, his sleep heavy voice answered the phone. _'What do you want?'_

"Everything okay on that end?" I asked as I leaned back in the chair.

'_It was great until you woke me up. No more fights and fleeing. Everything is fine and if it changes, I will call you.' _I heard a yawn and him moving the phone to the other ear.

"How's Alanna taking it all?" I was worried about her.

'_Fine, she's sleeping right now. So if you don't mind, I would like to get back to that as well.' _

I chuckled. "Fine, fine, get back to your sleep. I will call you in the morning."

'_Yep.'_ And the line went dead.

I looked at the phone and shook my head. I heard the stairs creak and turned my head to see Jenna walking down them holding a plate. She came over and sat on my lap. "You look like you could use some food."

I took the plate, went over her head with it and sat it on the desk. "What I could really use is you." And wrapped my arms around her.

She laid her head atop mine and sighed. "So is this how it will always be?"

"Huh?" I asked as I held her.

"With us. I mean, you have been gone a lot, and I understand why, but I don't want it to be like this forever." I heard the sadness in her voice.

I had been gone a lot lately. Trying to keep Abstergo from finding us, helping Altair out at the ranch, and making sure nothing else went wrong. "I will make you a promise right here and now. When this is over, I will hang up the gun and blades. I will stay here for as long as you like. I swear to you."

She sighed. "I just want you for as long as I can have you."

I knew what she meant. I was going to have to fake my own death sometime in the future. We decided that when Marcus was born, we would not tell him anything. It was what I did with my other two children. They never knew about my immortality. It was safer that way. Let them think me dead than a monster that would live forever. "I will stay for as long as you wish, my love." And I held her in my arms.

**Rebecca**

I had Dawson find the nearest electronics store. I needed some parts and a wireless router. When I had him stop so I could check the emails, I had a feeling this was going to be a fun one. They were not large files, but the encryption was complex. They did not want anyone in this that didn't have access into this baby. I rubbed my hands in glee. I hadn't had a challenge in quite some time.

We found a computer store and I grabbed everything that one would need for what I was about to do. I sat in the back seat of the quad cab pickup. A small power generator at my feet and three laptops hardwired together. Hopefully with the speed amped, it would be no time at all before their secrets were mine.

"So how goes it back there?" Dawson asked looking at me through the rear view mirror.

I smiled at him. "Shouldn't be too long. I have them doing their thing and when it is done, I will be able to view it on my tablet." I held the black thing up and gave it a small twist. "I love computers."

Climbing into the front seat, I buckled up and leaned back a little bit. "Cool. I wonder what is in those files that they needed so much secrecy for." He pushed the bill of his baseball cap up a bit and looked over at me.

"It's Abstergo. Their secrets have secrets." I took of drink of my water. "We can't say anything. We are the same way, just not so high-tech."

He smiled. "This is true. Hell, I think our secrets' secrets have some dark secrets of their own, and their names are Desmond, Altair, Ezio, Conner and Alanna. They are the real dark secret of the Brotherhood, aren't they?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I know, and we have been covering three of their asses for ten years now. Plus our own. It is hard to keep track."

"Tell me about it." He snorted and shook his head. "So, what do you want to eat?"

"Anything that will not eat me back." I grinned and so he found the nearest Taco Bell. When we got together, I was a strict vegetarian, but now I will eat some meat. Chicken mainly. I forgot how damn good it was.

Getting the food and getting back on the road, we were in Oklahoma before my laptop told me it was done. I leaned over, plugged in my tablet and downloaded the file to it.

I began to read and my eyes began to grow wide. "Honey, we need to get the hell off the road and find an internet signal. Ezio is going to want to see this."

**Another twist in the tale. I told you I was not done and was working up to something big. The sad thing is this is only the middle. There will be a lot more to learn in the coming chapters. See everyone later and thinks for the great reviews!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Ezio**

True to her word, Rebecca called once her decryption program deciphered the files. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes as I picked up the phone. "Are you finished already?" I sat on the edge of the bed, and yawned.

'_Yeah, and you are not going to like this at all.'_ She spoke quickly. _'I already sent it back to you. You need to watch the video.'_

"Can it not wait until I have had another hour of sleep?" I wanted to lie down. The soft pillow beckoned my name.

'_Afraid not. This is now priority before anything.'_

If Rebecca was getting this serious, it was bad. "I will head down to the basement and watch it now."

'_Good. Call me back when you finish.'_

I hung up the phone with her and yawned once more. I had not been in bed for more than a few hours. I hope this was worth it. Making my way down to my office, I grabbed something to drink from the kitchen on my way through. Opening my email, I downloaded the files that she had sent me.

The first couple pages were of no information. They were just on the explosion that we caused, but the video was eye opening. I watched them pull something from the ground. Something small and looked human. "Oh no." I could not believe it. They had Alanna. They had found her in the rubble. None of us had gone back to look. Why didn't we? I guess we were afraid of what we would find.

"Get her to the lab. She is one of them. That team that took down our Italian base."

Cazzo! This was not good. I could not tear my eyes away from the computer. The date jumped ahead five days. They had a camera on her and she was in the Animus. Vidic walked into the room. "How is Subject 18?"

"Her mind is resisting the probing. The more we probe, the more she retreats. There is nothing right now." The younger man shook his head and looked at the monitor. "I have seen this happen in a few other subjects. If we push too hard, too fast, we will not get anything."

I heard Vidic sigh. "We need that information before she comes to again. I will not have another fight on our hands."

So she fought them. She must have woken up sometime after they got her there and before this. I watched on.

"I will try and see what can be salvaged." The man turned back to the monitor.

Another person walked in the room and handed over a file, then walked out. Vidic walked over to his desk and sat down. The feed ended.

I sat back in my chair. "Merda! There has to be more. How did she escape, or did they let her go?"

I scanned through the documents and nothing told of her escape. I was now even more puzzled than before. They had her, but now she is with us. Grabbing the phone, I called Rebecca back. "Tell me there is more."

'_Afraid not. I don't know what they know, or what they got, but I need a guinea pig._'

I didn't like the sound of that. "For what, might I ask?"

'_I need to recreate what they did. I want to see if they got anything out of her head.'_

"But then you need Alanna, and she is with Altair." Being stalked by Abstergo, but no sense saying that. We all knew it.

'_Does she have any descendants?'_

I shook my head and began to read a few more of the documents. "No. She was an only child, and from what she said, so were her parents."

'_She didn't have any children?'_

"Never married and no one special. She devoted her life to the assassins." I shook my head.

I heard her sigh. _'Then I guess the hard way it is.'_

I could feel for her. It was not something I would have wanted to do, but it was something that needed to be done. "Can the Animus read the user's memories?"

'_I…I don't actually know. I have never tried to do it that way. I know when the Templars captured us in Juno's temple ten years ago, they said they could, but no evidence came up over it. I don't know if they were bluffing with you or they actually managed it.'_ I could almost hear the gears in her head turning_. 'The only problem is Baby is at the Farm. I would have to take her there."_

"Isn't that where Desmond is from?" I asked and hit print to make hard copies of the files.

'_Yeah. I stashed it there when we went into hiding. Although we didn't do that good of a job.' _

"Becca, we cannot all go there. Desmond's father is there and if he is the Grandmaster of the Assassin order, he would know about us. There are already too many people that know about us as it is." I hung my head and closed my eyes. I could not believe this was happening.

'_Ezio, believe me, I understand. I am not asking you guys to come. I would only take her with me. I know the risk of you guys being exposed.'_

"Thank you, Becca. I know you will do everything you can possibly do." And I knew she would. Now, I just had to break the news to Altair.

**Altair**

"You have got to be kidding me." I looked over at where Alanna was asleep on the bed. She had her hand tucked under her cheek and a peaceful look on her face. I think this was the first night I had not heard her scream from a nightmare.

'_Afraid so. I have the file in front of me. They found her, Altair. They knew who she was.'_ Ezio sighed over the line and continued. _'Becca wants to take her to the Farm. Put her back in the Animus and find out what she remembers from her time with them. We need to know.'_

"I understand that, but to put her back in the machine?" I shook my head. I didn't even want to think about it. "How did she escape?"

'_I don't know. There is no record of her leaving, or breaking out. They either thought she would not wake back up, and buried her again, or someone else got her out.'_

I looked back over at her. "I don't want her hurt again. If you remember, that machine fucked with Desmond's mind. What if it drives her to the point of madness?"

'_Rebecca will be careful. I know she will. All she is going to do is scan her memories and see of anything stands out.'_

I didn't like it. I really didn't like it. "Ezio, this is too risky. I could take her underground. Make it to where they will never find her again."

'_And what of the rest of us, huh? I cannot do that, and you know that.' _

I knew he was right. "I don't know what else to do."

'_Let Becca do what she thinks is the answer. This is new ground for all of us, but the ultimate choice lies with Alanna. It has to be her choice, and no one else's.'_

"We are going to be hitting the road here soon. I will talk to her about it then." I closed my eyes and exhaled.

'_Okay. Call Becca and talk to her. She will tell you more than I could. That is her thing.'_

"I will. I'll let you know what we are going to do." I knew what Alanna would do, but I did not like it.

'_I will be waiting.'_

I hung up the phone and began to pace the floor. To say I was worried was an understatement. I was downright scared that if she went into that machine, she would not come out the same.

"Altair."

Her calling my name brought me from my thoughts. I turned my gaze on her, and smiled slightly. She was propped up on her elbow and was looking at me. "Are you alright?" She asked.

I walked over to her and sat down. "Yeah, just thinking."

"You must have been pretty deep in thought because I called your name a few times before you answered." She sat up the rest of the way.

I nodded. "I guess I was. You okay?"

"Yeah, I was just wondering what you were doing pacing the floor at like five in the morning." She moved closer and rested her hand on my leg. "Something up?"

I hung my head. "I need to ask something of you, but I don't want to."

"Hey, you can ask me anything. All you have to do is open your mouth and say it." I heard the humor in her words. She was trying cheer me up, but it would not work this time.

"We just found out that before you woke up, Abstergo found you at the bomb site. They put you in the Animus to get information from you because you were in a coma at the time." I looked over at her. Her face was neutral, but I could see something in her eyes. "Becca wants to put you back in the Animus. To find out if you know what they were looking for. Maybe you blocked it out or the memory was taken from you."

Her hand found mine, and she didn't say anything for a while. When she spoke, I heard the sadness in her words. "You think they did something to me, don't you? That is how they are finding us."

"No, I think they know about us. I think they found us by tailing us for a while." I held her hand. "I don't think it's the greatest idea. Hell, I think it is a stupid idea, but the choice is yours, not mine."

"Will it help the group as a whole with the information?" She asked. I nodded. "Then I will go in willingly. It has to be done and I am willing to do it."

I knew she would say that. That is how she has always been. "Then I guess we are meeting Rebecca at the Farm."

"We? I thought I was going at this alone?" She met my eye.

I smirked at her. "I will not let you do this by yourself. I don't give a rat's ass if they find out who I am when we get there. I am not letting you do this alone."

She smiled and leaned forward, laying a light kiss on my cheek. "Thank you for staying with me."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

The next day, we met Rebecca and Dawson a few miles outside the Farm. Alanna was looking around at everything. She had been on edge since I told her about the whole thing. Rebecca walked up to her. "Hey, are you ready?" She smiled at her.

Alanna shook her head, and played with the end of her braid. "I guess. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about the whole thing. I have never had my memories probed. Well, when I was aware of them." She looked over at me, and then back to Rebecca. "Will I see any of this?'

"I can try to make that happen. When Desmond was in there, he relieved Ezio's memories and was in control of his body. Well, a virtual representation of Ezio. With you, it would be different. You would be you, but reliving your own memories."

That went right over my head. I didn't understand how the damn thing worked. "You know, that just confused the hell out of me." I had to be honest. I was not all techs like everyone else.

She laughed. "Let me put it in simpler terms. In the Animus, you see what you saw in the past. You are you, but in your head."

"Yeah, that didn't help me any. I will trust you know what you are doing." I wasn't even going to think about it. It would give me a headache. "So, how do we get to the Farm?"

"Well, we are going to leave your car here and all ride in the truck. When we get there, we are going to tell William that I have to put Alanna in the Animus for a Piece of Eden location. Now, what am I going to be calling you?" Rebecca looked at me.

"Just stick with Allen. You know that one and that is what everyone calls me in public. Just don't slip on the real name. That could be bad." I looked at her.

Dawson chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah, I know. I do not want to explain that to William."

Alanna stepped closer to me. "What about me? I don't know what you can call me."

"Isabella. It's easy to remember and it's your middle name, so that way you won't get confused." I touched her shoulder.

She nodded. "I think I can handle that."

"Come on you two. Let's get this show on the road." Rebecca headed over to the truck. "I already gave them the heads up that we were coming."

At least she thought about that. I was too caught up on wondering about how all of this was going to affect Alanna and her mind.

The rest of the drive was done in silence. Alanna looked out the window and watched the trees pass, and I retreated back to my own thoughts. Her hand stayed in mine and I held on to it. I would not let her go at this alone. Not again.

**Alanna**

Rebecca sat up the machine as I watched from the corner of the room. I was terrified on what I was going to see in there. I was pretty much going into the depths of my mind, and for me, that was a frightening place. It was where all of my darkest demons lay and I did not want to encounter.

William Miles walked over to me. "You must be Isabella." I nodded. "So who are you going to visit?"

I looked at him quizzically. "Visit?"

"Who is your ancestor?"

Oh! I shook my head. "I don't know. I guess she is important to all of this for me to be here." I hope he bought it, because I could not lie worth a damn.

"My son was in that chair several years ago. Trying to find the Apple of Eden that two of his ancestors had." William looked over the chair. "I haven't seen him since he ran from this place."

That was one thing I did not know about Desmond. I knew he had run from the Farm when he was sixteen, and the caught by Abstergo when he was twenty-five. I had not known that he and his father had not talked since. "Why not?"

"He did not like the life here. Thought we were all paranoid. I guess it took him seeing the world to learn why we lived the way we lived." He sighed. "So, how did they find you?"

Think fast Alanna, or you are going to be spilling your guts to this guy soon. "Oh, Abstergo was after me when Rebecca and Dawson found me. Allen was my friend and helped me get away." Please buy it, oh please buy it.

Rebecca didn't give him a chance, because she raised her head from the computer monitor. "Alright, we are all set. Let's get this over with."

I nodded, and looked at Altair. He nodded and I walked over to the chair. I had a flashback of watching for hours as Desmond sat there, still as the dead and watched him run around Roma as Ezio. It was the strangest thing I had ever seen and I had seen a lot. I must have stumbled because I felt someone grab my arm.

Looking up from the floor, I saw that it was Dawson that caught me. "Are you alright?" He asked as I straightened up.

"I think so. I guess I tripped over my own two feet." I chuckled a bit and pulled away from him.

I could tell Altair did not believe my lie because he walked over and took my arm. "Give us a second, would you?" He didn't give them time to respond, just lead me outside and out of earshot. "What happened? I know you and you don't do things like trip over your own feet."

Focusing on a spot on the ground, I got my bearings back. "I had a memory of watching Desmond sit in the chair for hours. I am surprised he did not show any memories of us in that. That could have been bad at the time." I finally brought my head back up and smiled. "I am good though. This has to be done."

"Alanna, I really…" And I cut him off.

"I know you do not like it, but we have to know what they know. If they pulled something from my memories that I know about us or the Pieces of Eden it could get very bad. I know everyone's real name. I guess I knew where the ranch was. That might be how they found it. Hell, for all I know, I could have known Kate before all of this. I don't know what is inside of my head, but I want you to pull the plug on all of this if something comes up that could expose us." I had to have someone on the outside that would do this for me. Everyone had to be protected from the information that could possibly come out in all of this.

"I will, but if I think there is anything that could harm you, I will have Rebecca pull you out of that thing."

I hugged him. "I know you will." And lead him back inside.

When we returned, the three of them looked at us. "You better now?" She asked as I walked over to the chair.

"Yeah. I'm sorry, but I just needed a moment before I do this. It is a bit overwhelming." I smiled and had a seat.

Rebecca held up an IV. "Deep breath." I did as she asked and did not make a sound when the needle hit the vein on the first try. "I will try to get us close enough to the right time frame, but we might have to jump around a bit."

"Okay." I kept my eyes forward.

That was when the drugs began to kick in. Sleep overtook me and I let my eyes drift close.


	16. Chapter 16

'_You with us?'_

I heard a voice in my head and I opened my eyes to see a white room. I raised my hands and saw that they were there, as was my legs, feet, and everything else that was vital to me. "I guess I am, unless you want to define it more."

'_I want you to make sure you can move normally. Baby is a bit sluggish so a few things might be off for a few, like speech and the like. I will work on it from this end.'_ Rebecca's voice traveled all around me.

I took a few steps, did a cartwheel and a back handspring. "I think I am good, Rebecca. Now, where are we going to start?"

'_I can't get a good lock on a memory. There are a few things going on right now. You are having memory within memory. Desmond had the same problem with some of Ezio's memories later in life while he was in Rome.'_

"Why would I have a memory within a memory?" I looked around the vastness of the white space around me. "Where am I anyway?"

'_The loading area of the Animus. I take the data from your DNA then construct a virtual world to recreate the one that the memory is coming from.' _

"Oh." I took a few steps and stopped. "Any ideas?"

'_Like I said before, the Animus was designed to read your DNA and create worlds from it. I don't know if I can even get it to relive your memories.'_

"So, whose memories are you getting right now?"

'_Now this is strange.'_

"Becca." I growled. "I would like some answers. Preferably now."

'_Fine, here it is. Did you know your grandfather on your mother's side was an assassin?'_

That floored me. "I didn't know that. She never spoke of anything like that. I am actually from assassin blood?"

'_Well, in a manner of speaking. It seems that line was a sect that stayed quiet. No data is known about them or where they came from. That would explain why you were chosen to be the way you are.' _

"Is that why you are having problems with memory within memory?" I asked looking up into the void.

'_It's possible. I mean, I am also getting some of your father's memories as well. They are scrambled, like your own, but that is typical. It is hard for a female to step into a male's memories. I tried with Desmond at one time. Yeah, he was rejected quickly. So, now we have to either figure out what to do from here, or I will have to pull you out and see from there.'_

"If I was to concentrate on the first thing I remembered when I came to, would that help?" I was in a new territory here. Great!

'_I can give it a go. See what happens. We are all on a new base here.'_

"Alright." I closed my eyes and breathed in deep, then exhaled and thought back on the first memory I had when I came to.

The sights, the smells, the ash and dirt that clung to my skin. The way the wind rustled the leaves on the branches and the sounds of the forest. I opened my eyes and they grew large as I saw what I was thinking of. "Becca, are you there?"

'_Yeah, I can see it all. Wow, this is cool!'_

I frowned. "Well I'm glad you do, because this is creepy." I scanned the area. It was all the same. I was just as I remembered it. "What do you want me to do? Not everything is clear."

'_Just relax. You are tensing up out here. Look around and try to catch any details you were missing.'_

I nodded and walked from the place I stood. "I see tire tracks. Lots of them, but they are not fresh. Most likely old. Weeks old. How long did they have me for?"

'_From the feed and the notes, only a few days. It was a year after the blast that they found you.'_

I tried to recreate everything that I did, down to what I was wearing. The rags of my old clothes, the ash on my skin. The bracelet I was wearing. Wait! "Becca, can everyone hear what I am saying?"

'_Yeah.'_

"Good, patch Allen in. I need to ask him a question." I inspected the bracelet. It had broken when I was running from Abstergo the other day. The thin chain snapped when I hit my wrist on the edge of the car. It was in the glove box of the car we ditched. I forgot to get it out.

'_I'm here. What is the question?'_ His voice sounded strange. Like it was far away.

"My bracelet, the one that broke. When did I get that?" I think I knew how they were tracking me.

'_You never wore bracelets. At least not that I saw. None of us do because they hampered the blades. Could get caught.'_

"That was how they have been keeping tabs on me. I think they were waiting and hoping I would go back to a Piece of Eden." I cursed. "Damn them. Pull me out. I don't think you are going to get anything from me now. This is the first thing I remembered. I need to jog my memory a bit more."

'_Actually, I would like to try something. It was something I did with Desmond when the memory we were after was corrupted. I think I might be able to put you in a memory that you can work from. It might help, or it won't do anything.'_

"I really am not up for exploration through my mind right now. I thought I was in this thing to find out what Abstergo pulled from my head." I walked a bit down the dirt road that I had taken so long ago to leave this place. The wind blew my hair to the side and I pushed it back.

'_We need to figure something out.'_

"Well I am not keen on playing 'pin the tail on the memory'. I think some of the things in my head are better left buried and not exposed to the outside world. If you know what I mean." Although, I would not mind reliving a few memories that I had with Altair. Those made me smile.

'_So, where do you want to go?'_

"Allen, you there?" I leaned against a tree. I had done that before. It was like having déjà vu.

'_I'm here again. What do you need now?'_ He sounded irritated.

"Look, if we go any deeper into my head, there are things that are going to be exposed. I need help. Help me recreate a memory that I can remember part of. It was the December 19th, 2012. I think that was the night before everything, if I am correct." I picked a blade of grass and looked at it carefully. Everything seemed so real, but I knew it was all in my head.

'_What can you remember?'_

"The woods and a cabin. We were talking. I don't remember the conversation, but we were both angry at each other. I smacked you, and stormed out. You followed." I hung my head and looked at my wrists. I remembered having something there. My blades were missing. Did they survive or were they destroyed. "I lost my blades in the explosion."

'_Yeah, but we can make you new ones if you want.'_

"They were special. They were old. Do you think they could still be around?" Why was I so torn up about those blades? "My father's dagger was also destroyed. I know I was carrying that with me."

'_No, that's safe. I have that in my bag.'_

My head shot up. "Why would you have that?" The scenery started to shift. A building replaced the rubble and I was standing in front of Altair.

"No, I will not stand for this." He glared at me, eyes burning in rage on what I was about to do.

I smiled at him. It was strange to be smiling at him when I was in so much pain. I was calm about it as I could feel the blood running down the stomach. "You have no say so in the matter." And slowly, so he would not notice, I slipped my dagger from behind my back. I knew he would not leave without me and I would not let him stay behind. I could not let him do it. There was so much for him to do.

He fixed his eyes to mine, and I struck. Plunging the dagger deep in his chest, I watched his eyes widen as he looked down at the dagger and my hand still on the hilt. "I told you, you have no say so in the matter. I'm sorry." And watched him drop to the floor.

I turned to the others. "Get him out of here. Do not look back whatever you do." I pushed the door open and looked out it. Freedom was so close, but I had the dead man switch. No one would make it if I tried to run.

"You cannot be serious?" Ezio stared at me, eyes wide. "You cannot do this."

Before I could utter another word, I felt myself being pulled out of the machine. My eyes flew open and I gasped for air. "What…what happened?"

"You're blood pressure started to drop. The memory was so intense that your body actually thought you were there." Rebecca began to unhook all the wires from me. "You had to come out by force."

"I wasn't ready. I have to know how it ended." I tried to push them off of me, but Altair's hand landed on my chest and shoved me back.

He got up in my face and glared. "You don't want to know, believe me. It is messy and that is how all of this got started. That is one memory that you are going to have to see without the machine."

I met his eye and glared back. "Get off me."

"No." And he pushed a bit harder. I could feel my ribs bowing in, and I could not get a deep breath. "I won't hurt you, but I will not let you hurt yourself. The last time you pushed yourself to remember, you ended up passing out from the pain."

"I know what I am doing. I had it under control." I grabbed his arm, but it was like trying to move a steel rod that was in dry concrete. He would not budge an inch. "Damn you."

"Well, I can at least tell you are partly coming back. You are now trying to fight me at every turn." And from the tone of his voice, he didn't like it.

He released me and took a few steps back. I took in a deep breath. Rebecca held out her hand and helped me stand. "I think we are done for right now. I want to make a few tweaks to Baby before we try again."

"Okay." I rubbed my shoulder where the round had gone through me in the memory. It was odd to feel the pain from the bullet ten years later.

She went to look me in the eyes, but I turned away. "Are you alright? You look a bit pale."

I waved her off. "It was…intense in there. I guess I am a bit shaken up. I'll be fine in a little bit." And walked towards the door. "I think I need some air."

Opening the door, the chilled wind caused me to shiver slightly, but it helped to clear my head. I had to know what happened. What I did to start the catalyst that took my memories. I knew I was in an explosion, but how big of one? I needed this memory.

I could hear footsteps behind me, and turned my head slightly to see Altair walking up beside me. He draped his jacket over my shoulders and let his hands rest there a moment. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I really need to learn to take this a step at a time. I mean, I should know that strong memories are going to mess with me." I pulled the jacket around me and soaked in the warmth. "I just wanted to know. I stabbed you. I tried to save you."

"Because you knew I would not leave you behind. I could never do that." He began to walk away and I followed.

"You tried to save me one other time, and failed." He did not answer, just kept walking to wood's edge.

Stopping at the tree line, he sighed and looked into the vastness of the forest. "Yes. I tried to save you the night this whole thing started. The Apple took that away from me. You were my responsibly and I failed."

I stood next to him and I knew what he meant. He thought he could have saved me if the Apple had not interfered. "Do you want my thoughts on that night? I remember some of what happened."

"Sure." He pushed a small rock with his toe.

"I don't think I could have been saved." That got him to turn his head. Letting his jacket fall off my shoulders, I reached for his hand, and raised my shirt. I placed his fingertips on the scar that ran on my abdomen. "That is a death blow, even now a day. I would have bled out before you got me to healer. I was dead in every word, but if they had not stepped in, I would not be here talking to you. I am alive because of them not once, but twice. If you want something to be proud of and credit to saving my life, you taking me from the streets of Acre."

His fingers moved on the scar. He knew I normally didn't let anyone touch the scar. "You remember that?"

I smiled and chuckled a bit. "Yeah, but I had a little help. I asked the apple to show me. Actually I asked how I came to be the way I am. It showed me when I stole your gold."

He smiled at the memory. "I had a hard time catching you. You were quick and knew the city better than I did. I don't think I would have caught you if you had been at full strength."

"You gave me the coin, and then helped me when I collapsed. You could have took the coins back when that happened, but you took me with you, and fed me, then gave an orphan a chance at a new life. I will always be grateful to you for that." My hand was still on his wrist, and I laughed when his fingers brushed my navel. "Don't do that. I am ticklish there."

He grinned and I knew I was in trouble. "That was one thing I never knew about you. I did not know you were ticklish."

I swatted his hand away. "Don't you even think about it. I hate being tickled."

"I will keep that in mind as a form of torture then, I suppose." Bending down, he picked up the jacket and handed it back to me. "I believe you dropped something."

Taking it from him, I slipped my arms into the sleeves and they fell past my fingertips. I scowled. "I hate being short."

"I like you being short."

"Shut up, smartass." I stuck my tongue out at him, and laughed alongside him, letting my time in Animus become a distant memory.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

We headed back in after a few more minutes of peace. The Farm was so quiet and peaceful, not like the hustle and bustle of places that I have been. It was nice, but I understood why Desmond would go nuts here. I liked peace and quiet, but I also liked to interact with people.

When we walked back in, William looked at us. "So, are you ready to go back in?"

I shook my head and took a step back. "Not right now. After that last incident, I am a bit scared of the damn thing."

"Understandable, but you do know that everyday more assassins die from the knowledge that the Templars have. If you have something that can help us, you need to let us find it." He walked over to us, and Altair stepped in front of me protectively.

"She will go back in when she is ready. Not before then. We know what is at stake. Better than you might think." He growled and narrowed his eyes at the elder Miles.

They nearly stood toe to toe, until William looked him up and down. "Have we met before? You look very familiar."

Shit! Desmond resembled Altair. That must be where he was getting the connection at. Altair covered well. "Doubt it, unless you have ever jumped bail before."

Good save, I thought to myself. "Just give me a few minutes. I will be ready." I stepped out from behind him.

William nodded and walked away. I glanced over at Rebecca and Dawson. They we both glued to the edge of their seat wondering if the old man was going to connect the dots.

We walked over to where they were, and in a low voice Becca sighed. "I thought he was going to bust us for sure. Seeing that they all look alike." She was talking about Conner, Ezio, Desmond and Altair.

"I know. It is kind of scary sometimes." I smiled and turned my eyes to the man we were talking about.

"Shut up." But I knew he didn't mean it in a mean way. He was trying to play with us.

I laughed. "I guess I am ready to try again if you are."

She nodded her dark head. "Let's give it a go. We shouldn't have too many more problems, but if something happens like last time, I will pull you back out."

"Understood. I wouldn't have it any other way." I took a seat in the chair and readied myself for the things that I would see.

**I know finding the tracker was rushed, but I had to have a reason they did not follow them to the Farm. I needed them safe for a bit to figure things out. Everything is slowly coming together and yes, Alanna's grandfather was an assassin. That will come into play later. I will warn you now, I have four chapters done as of now, and I will be posting them close to each other, like 12 hours a part. I have a lot going on and a few things to clarify. Hopefully you like the story so far and I want to thank DanAlaya for the wonderful comments. Always a pleasure to see them, and to EmilyLouisexx as well. I have not been thanking people so here I am, doing it now. **

***Sassiersphinx81***


	17. Chapter 17

**Conner**

I let the horses roam in the small pasture I had out back of my place. It was good to be home for once and not out being chased or being shot at. They ran for a bit and settled into their new home. I leaned against the rail and watched them. Altair's horse, a roan colt, looked up at me, and bared his teeth. Damn, that horse hated everyone. It took all of us to get the damn beast out of the trailer. It nearly took Desmond's hand off, and went after Tom, but the beast bowed its head to Kate when she came near, and it let her lead it to the pen.

"Hey Conner." Desmond walked over, and leaned on the rail with me. "That little fucker causing problems again?"

I laughed at him, and the colt looked over at us, ears perked. "No, but I think it is debating on if I am eatable. He has this predatory look in its eyes."

"Well it is the Old Man's horse. Alanna told me about this one horse he had when they were wandering the world. It hated her and anyone that came near it, but would follow Altair like a pup. It was funny, until the beast turned on her a few times." He smiled and watched the two horses chase each other.

I shook my head and stood up. "Come on." I turned for the house and he walked next to me. "So, what is going on?"

"Not much. They are having a hard time with Alanna and the Animus." He had been in contact with Rebecca and Altair. I didn't know them well enough to keep calling them.

"What type of trouble?" I asked as I walked up the steps and into the house.

"My dad sticking his nose into everything. They cannot probe too much into her memories without revealing shit to my old man." He ran his hand over his face and followed me into the house.

Kate looked around the corner from the kitchen when she heard the door close. "Ah, you boys are back. I was just about to call you in for dinner."

I had to laugh at the 'boy' comment. "Kate, you do know I am not a boy, right?"

She laughed and smiled at us. "I know, but you still look like one so get used to it, Conner, and Desmond there is still younger than myself. Well for right now, that is."

"Ha ha, you're a baby." I smirked at Des.

"Vai a farti forrere." He smirked back.

Kate about died laughing. Desmond looked at her. "I picked up a few curse words when I was in Italy for Abstergo. That's about all I know from my time there. Hanging out with drunken sailors in Venice will do that."

I looked from one to the other. I did not know a lick of Italian. "What the hell did he just say? I don't know that one."

She wiped her hands on a dish towel and stepped around the corner. "He told you to go fuck yourself, Conner." She smiled at Desmond. "Now, where has Tom gotten off to? I know he was here a few minutes ago."

"Yeah, I understand. Look I am in the middle of something right now, and when I'm done I will be there. Yeah Mom, I love you too. Bye." Tom rounded the corner from back door. "Sorry my mom has been pestering me to come and visit."

I cocked an eyebrow at him. "She does know you are an assassin, right?"

He nodded. "Oh yeah. My old man was one and so was his. She knows, and she accepts it, but right now she's mad because I forgot to clean out her gutters before I went and got mixed up in this. Got to love her priorities." He rolled his eyes and looked at us. "Did I miss anything?"

"Just Desmond cussing out Conner." Kate chuckled. "Now that you are here again, you guys can come eat." She headed back into the kitchen and began to pull down plates and glasses.

I took them from her. "You know you don't have to cook for us all the time, Kate. You are a guest here."

She fixed me with a look and I stepped back. "I will not sit around this house with my head in the sand. I cannot fight, but I can do my part by making sure you boys eat. I liked to cook for Alanna. I will do what I can, when I can, and if you don't like it, you don't get any cobbler."

That got my attention. "I am sorry, oh great chef. I will not question you any longer. My kitchen is your kitchen." I bowed to her with a smile.

"I don't think you have ever used this kitchen." Kate grabbed something out of the oven and walked it over to the island I had. "The oven is spotless."

"Hey!" I sat the plates on the table. "I used it to make Pizza Rolls…once, maybe twice."

"And I rest my case." She looked at me and winked. "I am just picking on you." Pulling off the foil, the whole room filled with the delicious scent of roast. "Now, that I have your attention again."

I felt my mouth water. I could not say no to Kate's food. She had been here for a week now, and I had never eaten better. "I am at your beck and call, as long as I get that." She knew what did us all in.

"Good, because I want you to teach me how to use a gun."

Huh? That stopped me in my train of thought. "Repeat that?" Tom watched from the table.

"You three heard me. I want you three to teach me. I cannot learn hand to hand, but I can carry a gun and learn to use it. At least that way I do not have to rely on all of you to protect me if something happens." She said it calmly and I knew she had been thinking about it for quite some time.

Desmond nodded. "I'll do it. I have no problems with someone wanting to protect themselves."

"I agree. I think it would a good idea." Tom smiled.

"Fine. We will start in the morning, but do not think you are getting a large caliber right off the bat. That would be asking for trouble." I sighed and sat down at the table.

She smiled and sat the roast on the table then joined us. "Agreed. Thank you boys for helping out an old woman."

A woman who knew how to get to all of us, I thought and put some of the meat on my plate along with the potatoes, carrots and onions. She was good, and I knew that she knew it.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

The next morning after everyone was done with the morning chores, I took Kate to the shooting course that I had set up. It was a bunch of tin cans and targets nailed to some boards. I had chosen a Makarov PM for her to shoot for the first time. It had little recoil and was damn accurate. It was the best thing to come out of Russia.

I handed her a set of safety glasses. "Here, put these on."

She slipped them on and looked down at the gun. "What is it?"

"Makarov PM. It has an eight round clip and you will be shooting 9 by 18mm cartridge. It is a good little gun. Not practical for what we do, but in your case, it will do well." I picked it up and slid the clip into it, and checked to make sure the safety was still on. "You will have to break this down later."

Raising a brow, she just shook her head when I nodded. "You are doing to show me right?"

"Of course. I am not about to let you try to take apart this gun without help for the first time." I slid on my safety glasses and pulled my gun out of my hip holster.

"What is that one?" She pointed to mine.

"This is the same one Alanna used to carry. It is a Browning Hi Power. Desmond handed to me when we were rescuing you. It is not my first choice in handguns, but it needed some bullets put through it" I pulled a few clips I had loaded earlier.

"Was that one hers?"

"Doubt it. I think she had them on her when everything went south." I looked at her and smiled. "Are you ready?"

"No, but I guess we should get started."

**Altair**

I lounged in the char as I watched Alanna in the Animus. It was still strange to see her in the machine. Rebecca said that they were making good progress and was uncovering a few good runs on the memories. I wasn't so sure. I mean, we had been at it for a few days now, and she kept skipping past the time frame we needed.

"Becca, do you think she might not have been aware of the whole incident?" I asked as I watched Alanna walk down the same dirt road for the third time today.

She turned her blue eyes on me. "It's possible, but right now she wants to keep trying."

I shook my head and sat back. I have had to watch the scene from Monteriggioni unfold as well. The one where I told her she was tool, a pawn. Listening to my words at that time it felt someone had physically slapped me across the face. I felt sick. I had been so wrong to her for so many years and I wish I could go back and erase the things I had done to her.

"Whoa! This is new."

I sat up straight and looked over at her monitor. "What?"

"Her memory is shifting again. I don't know if it's from her amnesia, or what, but she keeps going to a specific time." She typed something into the keyboard and touched the button on the side of her earpiece. "Alanna, I need you to lock down on what you are thinking about. It's scattered on this end."

'I'm trying, Becca, but I can't.' I heard Alanna's voice through the speakers. Rebecca decided to do that so I could hear what was going on at all.

"You are doing fine. I think you almost had it that time." Rebecca concentrated on the monitor.

I saw the screen go to white and then a gray room. Alanna was holding a gun and panting. This was it. This is what we were waiting for now for a few days.

'Get the hell away from me!' She screamed at the men in front of her. 'Where the hell am I?'

'Calm down, Ms. Dowd.'

Vidic. I saw him walk into the frame and I felt my hands form fists. The man had lived. The picture began to pixilate. "Becca?" I looked at her.

"The memory is intense. She's trying to reject it." A few more keystrokes and then called out to Alanna. "'lanna, you are doing great. Please stay with it."

The memory didn't clear up, but it jumped ahead a few minutes to a few men grabbing her and her fighting them. "Get off me! Now!" She screamed at them, kicking her legs and trying to shake them off of her to no avail.

"Get her into the Animus! I don't care if you have to shoot her. I want that information!" Vidic yelled from the safety of the other side of the room.

"Fuck you!" Her fist came up and caught one man under the chin and lost the grip he had on her leg. With the free leg, she twisted and kicked the man holding her other leg in the face and he dropped her.

Taking off out the open door, her feet carried her swiftly down the hall and to the stairwell. I watched on the edge of my seat, and when she thought she was home free, that was when they struck. She was hit from behind by a bullet.

Dropping to her knees, she tried to stand again, but was shot once more. This time the bullet ripped through the side of her chest, barely missing the heart. She dropped to the ground, trying to get her breath, which I knew was feudal. Her lung had been hit. I had been shot like that before.

"Get her back upstairs and get her in the Animus." Vidic crouched down in front of her. "You should have just done what you were told, Ms. Dowd. It would have all been over soon."

The monitor faded to black and I blinked. "Alanna, you still with us?" I asked from my earpiece.

I heard her breathing heavy. 'Yeah, I… I think so. They did have me. They caused me to lose my memories, didn't they?'

"From what we just saw, I would say they tried to get everything out of your head, but the Animus had side effects if you are left in it too long. They may have done that to you and to protect itself, your mind shut down. I have seen it happen with Subjects 10 and 13." Rebecca leaned back and sighed. "I'm going to pull you out now. I think we are done for now. Actually, I think we are done for good."

'Wait! What if there is more? I can try again. We got here.'

"You just heard her, Alanna. You keep trying you could lose all the ground that you have gained. There is no more to find. They had you and put you in the machine. That is all there is to be known. You can't find anything more." I looked over at her prone body.

'But...'

Rebecca cut her off. "No buts. It is too dangerous." She began to type in the codes to cut the machine's feed, and I watched Alanna begin to wake up.

I pushed off the table and let my chair roll over to the side of the chair. Her eyes fluttered open and I smiled at her. "Hey, welcome back."

She smiled slightly and shook her head as she sat up. "Hey back."

I placed a hand on her back as she leaned forward and tried to gain her bearing. "You alright?"

She nodded and stood up. I did the same. "I'm good. I wish I knew what they got out of my head."

"So do we, but they didn't record any of what they got." Rebecca shut down the machine, stood and popped her back. "Well, at least their information is right. They had you and got something."

Alanna sighed and pushed some stray hairs out of her face. "But how did I get away? They wouldn't have just dumped me." She looked back at me. "Would they have?"

The confusion was back in her eyes. I hated seeing that. "I hate to say it, but I think they did. They put the bracelet on you to track your movements and probably hoping you would lead them to the Apple."

"But I didn't have it! Conner had one and the other was," She stopped and her hand went to the side of her head. "Shit! I can't remember!"

The memory lapses were coming back. She was having trouble remembering things that she knew she had rediscovered. The Animus was doing it again. I reached out for her, but she pulled away. "Alanna."

She shoot a look at me, her eyes alit. "No, don't 'Alanna' me. I am tired of this shit! I am tired of being babied and coddled by everyone. I am broken and fucked up and I am not getting any better. If anything I am getting worse!" She headed for the door. "God, I wish I had been destroyed in that blast. At least that way they would have never been able to get their hands on me, and I would not have put everyone in danger." Throwing open the door, she stormed out, pushing past one of the teenagers out of the way.

The boy looked at her, then turned and looked at us, eyes slightly wider than normal. I addressed him. "Can I help you?"

He stepped into the room. "Mr. Miles would like an update of your work."

Rebecca nodded. "Tell him I will be there in a few minutes."

The boy nodded back and left. I crossed my arms over my chest and sighed. "I don't like how he is sticking his nose in all of this."

Rebecca's hand rested on my bicep. "I know, but he is giving us protection for right now. Abstergo will not start an open war with us here. That would be like giving the world an open invite to our private war."

I knew what she was saying, but I did not like it. "It is way too risky letting him know any of this."

"I am only giving him what he needs to know." She retracted her arm and headed for the door. "Why don't you go blow off some steam and teach the recruits a thing or two about being an assassin." She smirked and walked out.

The idea was intriguing. I had not been able to show anyone up in a while. I followed in her footsteps and into the sun. I blinked a few times and looked around. A few of the boys were doing drills and a few were practicing with blades. I grinned and headed that direction. I could handle that.

The instructor eyed me as I walked over. Dawson was at the shooting range, teaching a few men how to handle a sniper. He was one of the best. He inclined his head in acknowledgement of my presence. "Can I join?" I asked as I stopped in front of him.

"I heard you were a bounty hunter. You know how to handle a blade?" He asked looking me up and down.

"I know a few things." I smirked. Like I would tell this man I have forgotten more about the art than he would ever remember.

"If you get cut up, it's on you." He shrugged and moved to the side. "It's your funeral. This is the advanced class."

"Have you taught them throwing knives?" I asked. I had not seen anyone doing that.

He shook his head. "A dead art. With the metal detectors that they have out there, it is hard to get them in anywhere."

"Really? You can make them out of a hard plastic and they function just as well. You can easily make them." I looked at the blades he had on the table. They were not as well-crafted as my own. I had a real blacksmith make mine, but it was getting harder to conceal the short sword I favored. My sword was long abandoned in the trunk of the Mustang. One of the only pieces I carried with me everywhere.

I picked up one of the smaller blades from the table, and tested its weight. "You seem to know a lot about blades for a bounty hunter." His green eyes narrowed and watched my movements.

I shrugged and flipped the blade in my hand. "I use them a lot in my field. A gun is noisy and draws attention. A blade can be non-lethal as well as lethal, as long as it is the right hands." Clutching the dagger in my fingers by the blade, I threw it and it stuck in the pole near Dawson. He shot me a dirty look and pulled it out, then walked it over. "It's a few grams too heavy in the handle. Reduce that and it would be an awesome throwing knife."

"Quit throwing things at me, Allen. I hate that, and you know it." He nailed the point into the table and I watched it shake a bit.

I chuckled. "Sorry. It was the safest place to throw it."

"Quit trying to show off." Dawson smiled and walked back to his students.

The man in front of me smiled. "Would you like to teach my students a few things?"

"Sure." I shrugged. It would be a good time killer.

I felt eyes on me and looked up from one of the climb towers. Alanna knelt on the edge of the platform. She smiled at me, and I smiled back. She turned and climbed back down.

**Vai a farti forrere –Go fuck yourself**

**Google has a wonderful translation program, and playing Assassin's Creed 2 over again doesn't hurt! ;-P Oh what I have learned from playing the games. Italian is a fun language and people look at you funny when you yell at them in it, but I learned an important lesson. Do not cuss out your boss! What?! I didn't know the man spent five years in Italy and knew what I said. He laughed at me, though and corrected my pronunciation. I love that man!**


	18. Chapter 18

I smiled from the top of my tower at Altair as he clashed blades with a few of the men on the practice field. I couldn't help it. I was still upset about what had happened inside, but I still loved him. My eyes widened at what had just went through my head. I knew somewhat about our past. I knew we had been partners and had married when we were drunk in Vegas on a mission, but I didn't know how I truly felt until now.

"If you stare any harder at him, he is going to have holes in his shirt."

My head flipped around and I stared at the young woman that stood next to me. Her green eyes held mirth, and I blushed at being caught. "I was just watching his technique. He is good." I turned back to the training yard.

"He must have had a good teacher. I don't think anyone here is that good. Not even our Grandmaster." She sat down on the edge next to me. "I'm Gwen." She held out her hand and I took it.

"Isabella." I smiled at her. "So, you are training to be an assassin?"

She nodded. "Trying at least. My mother was an assassin. She died when I was six. She was stationed in Denver."

I remembered that. The team was caught by Abstergo and executed. "I'm sorry to hear that. My mom and dad both died when I was ten. I know the feeling. Is your dad one as well?"

Gwen looked down at the ground before shaking her head. "No, he was a guy she met in college. They dated for a few years and then when Mom found out she was pregnant, they married. Moved here after school and that's when he found out who she really was. The Grandmaster at the time was my grandfather. He was not happy that Mom married a man outside the order."

I chuckled and leaned against the beam next to me. "I can understand that. I don't think my mother would have been happy with my choice of men. I know my father would have tried to run him off." I turned my eyes to her. "They would not have approved of the man I married."

"You're married?" She asked surprised. I nodded. "Is he here?" I nodded once more.

"He's the one I was staring at. I forget sometimes that he is mine." I sighed and casted my eyes at the ground a few stories down.

"Isabella!" I heard my name being called. Looking around, I saw Altair had left the training yard and was now walking over to me. "We need to meet with Rebecca and Dawson."

"Give me a sec." I smiled down at him. I turned to the young girl next to me. "Good luck on your training, Gwen. Maybe we can talk more later."

Smiling back at me, she nodded. "I would like that. There are not a lot of women here, and so… yeah."

"I know how you feel. When I was trained, I was the only woman there. Got harassed by the men every day." I knew all about being the outcast.

Her eyes widened. "You're an assassin?" I merely nodded. "I thought you were here for something else."

"I am, but I think it's time I got back to what I used to be." I stood. "See you later." And jumped down to the ground, rolled and came back on my feet right in front of Altair. "Let's go."

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and we walked over to where Dawson and Rebecca were standing. William was talking to them as we walked up. "I take it you are heading off again, Rebecca." It was not a question, but a statement.

"Got to, Bill. Abstergo is out there, and we are the only thing standing between them and the world." She told him.

He looked back over at us. "And what of you two? I guess you are going with her?"

"I don't belong here. I came here to make sure nothing happened to Isabella, and I go where she goes." Altair met the man's look with one of his own.

I couldn't help but smile at him, and got a return one from him. William sighed and shook his head. "I wish you would four would change your mind."

"I'm sorry, but they are after me. I will not put this whole place at risk because of me." I could not do that, and looked up at the jump tower. Gwen watched us with fascination. "Gwen will make a fine addition to your ranks, with the right discipline."

"She is a headstrong girl."

Altair laughed lightly next to me. I knew what was going through his head. He was thinking about me. "I knew a girl once that was the same way. She turned into one of the best assassins I had ever met. A bit headstrong is a good thing sometimes. Makes you think outside the box."

"So where is this assassin?" He asked.

"She died saving the people who meant the world to her." I spoke up.

Dawson cleared his throat. "We had better get moving. The trek back to Texas is a long one."

He was right. "At least we have four drivers this time and not just two. We won't have to drive as long." Rebecca reached her hands for the sky, and stretched.

As we were walking away, William called to us. "You two know an awful lot about our world."

Altair looked over his shoulder. "I know a lot about the underground. It is my job to know things. Helps with catching the bad guy. Isabella was caught by Abstergo, so she knows everything that is going on. You don't have to be an assassin to know the truths in this world, William. You would do well to know that."

He continued to walk over to the car, his arm still around my shoulder.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

I called Ezio when we were on the road. He sounded relieved to hear from me. 'I thought you guys would never call. What is going on?'

"Heading to meet the others." I told him. "How's everything on your end?"

'Hectic. I forgot about all the shit I had to do here. Jenna made me a list of chores to do before I leave again. By the time I am done, you guys are going to win this war and be crowned supreme rulers.' He chuckled in the phone.

"Well, you had better get to it then." I laughed alongside him.

'Ugh, sometimes I wonder why I married again.' And then I heard him curse in Italian. 'Merda! She heard me!'

"I will speak well of you at your funeral, my friend." Smiling, I slouched in my seat.

'Thank you and I had better get off of here. I will talk to you soon.'

"Bye Ezio." I hit the end button and sat the phone next to me. "Ezio says hi and to speak kind of him at his wake. I believe Jenna is about to kill him."

"What did he do this time?" Altair looked at me from his place in the driver's seat. I was in the passenger's seat. Dawson and Rebecca were sitting in the back, dozing. We decided to take the first shift.

"Wondered why he married again." I chuckled at the memory. "She heard him."

Altair laughed as well. "I would be surprised if he escapes without a wound."

We lapsed into silence for a while. I watched the trees rush past the window as we cruised along the back roads towards the highway. "Altair." I spoke.

"Yes?" He asked as he turned onto another street that would take him to the highway of our destination.

"Do you think I will ever remember everything?" I looked down at my hands in my lap. Since my time in the Animus, it seems that I was losing some of the memories that I had once gotten back, and a few new ones that I had made. I tried to recall what the name of the man that betrayed us was, and I could not remember, even though we had gone over that memory the day before.

I heard a sigh escape him. "I don't know. It seems every time you are put in that machine, you come out worse for wear. I will never let you go in that thing again."

"I never want to, but they know what we are now and who we are. If they dug deep enough, they know who leads the assassins. From what Ezio has told me, I knew it all, and that is what scares the ever loving piss out of me. They found me and used me." The one thing I was afraid of had come true. I had been used.

He reached for me and laid a hand on my leg. "It will be alright. If they had all that information, they would have already made their move. I don't think they got much, but they got enough to give them hope that you would wake up and lead them to the Apple."

"But I have put everyone at risk. Maybe I should have died back in that blast." Closing my eyes, I blew out the breath that I had just taken in. "Everyone would have been better off."

The car suddenly pulled over into a parking lot. I looked at him as he threw it into park. Rebecca and Dawson woke up and looked at us with heavy lidded eyes. "Is it time to switch?" Dawson asked as he rubbed his eyes.

Altair did not answer him, but glared at me. I shrunk down into my seat at the intensity of the glare. "Listen to me, and listen well. If I ever hear you say something like that again, I will hog tie and gag you, then throw you in a room until you regain your sanity. I was not better off without you. I went on a one man killing spree because I though they took you from me. I wanted blood and I didn't care how many people I went through to get it.

"The first night we were ever together, I left because I was afraid I would ruin things between us. The time you ran, I went nuts when I realized you were not coming back. I hunted for you, and could not find you. I pulled every string, looked under every rock to find you. I wanted to make it right. I wanted you back, but you could not be found. Then in Boston, I finally saw how much I had hurt you. I beat myself up for years because of that, then I saw you again at LaGuardia, I thought I would get a second chance, but damn, I never knew what to say to you." His eyes softened, and he sat back. "I'm sorry."

I looked at him and blinked. I was stunned at his reaction. I cleared my throat, and smiled gently. "Thank you and I guess I am sorry too."

He turned back to the windshield, put the car in drive and pulled out onto the street. I smiled and leaned back into my seat. I think that was the first time I could actually remember him being that sincere about anything. I felt my heart do a small jump in my chest.

"What the hell did we miss?" Rebecca asked from the back seat.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

A couple hours later, we switched drivers. Rebecca took over, Dawson took my seat and I sat in the back with Altair. He was leaned against the door and I had my head on his lap. I was tired from the Animus session earlier that day, and I felt sleep begin to overtake me.

I don't know how long I was asleep, but I felt someone shake my shoulder. "Alanna, you need to wake up."

Opening my eyes slowly, I looked up at Altair. He was looking out the windshield, face hard. "What's wrong?"

"Ezio just called. They attacked him at his house."

I sat up quickly. "What? Is everyone…?" I let the question hang there.

He finally looked at me. "They are fine, but they are hunting us one by one. They did not just go after you. They are finding all of us. The war we have all feared had begun. We have targets on our heads." I saw fear in his eyes. The man that never showed fear was holding onto my hand like I was a lifeline.

"Conner and the others?" I asked.

"On the move. Broke up in two groups. Kate and Conner are heading south to the Gulf. Desmond and Tom are heading north to meet up with Ezio and Jenna. They are taking Marcus to Maya's in Salt Lake City." He lowered his gaze. "We are about to split up."

My eyes shot to the people in the front seat. Rebecca looked back at me. "Before you ask, we will be fine. We are all going to meet up later. In a safer country."

"Where?" I asked.

"Masyaf, Syria." I heard Dawson speak.

My head whipped around, eyes wide as I met Altair's gaze. "No, I…I can't go back there. We have avoided that place for seven hundred years. Why must we go back there?"

"It's the last place the Templars would look for us. We are public enemy right now, Alanna. We have to do what we need to do to survive. Isn't that what we have always done?" He took ahold of my hand and brought it to lips. "At least we can do this together. Come full circle."

I wanted to fight him over this. I wanted to scream and yell and throw a fit, but I knew it would be useless. I was acting like a child because of my fears, and from the look in his eyes, he was just as afraid as I was. "How are we getting there?" I slumped a bit in defeat.

"A friend of mine owns a plane. He is willing to fly us over to Spain. From there, we are going to have to break up again, and make our way to Masyaf on our own. For now, we have to make it to South Carolina. That is why we are breaking up now. Conner and Kate are heading to the Gulf, taking a boat to Florida and heading there. Des and Tom are taking motorcycles cross country. Ezio and Jenna are taking her Cessna. I am going to drop you guys off in Oklahoma. Desmond is leaving a present there for you two. He wouldn't say what it was.

"Becca and I are ditching this car, picking up my truck in Missouri and driving the rest of the way." Dawson took an exit onto another highway and continued his trek across the states.

I must have been out of it for a while if they had this all planned out. "Our stuff? Where is that?"

"Desmond and Tom are putting it in our car. Well, what they can." Altair told me.

Sitting up straight, I looked him in the eye. "I want my guns. My Brownings. I want them in the car." From the look I got, I knew that was about to start a fight.

"No, absolutely not." He glared.

I met his glare with one of my own. "Yes. I am an assassin and there is no hiding that anymore. I cannot hide my head under the sand for all eternity and play the innocent girl. I am not innocent. Not by a long shot. I do not want to kill everyone that I come across just the ones that want to kill us."

"And I told you I would handle that." His eyes narrowed even more. Stubborn man.

"You can't kill everyone, Altair. I want the guns and that is all I'm asking for." I sat back in the seat. "Please."

A sigh and I knew I had him. "I will make the call. You do know the ones we have were not your first set. These were your backups. The first pair was destroyed."

"I know. I figured as much." At least he finally agreed to it. I thought I was really going to have to play dirty with him. "How much longer until we get to the car?"

"Not until tomorrow. If you are going to catch them before they leave, you had better make the call. They were leaving in an hour or so." Rebecca held the phone over her head and Altair took it.

He dialed the number and waited for Desmond to answer. "Conner, I need a favor. Put the Brownings in the bag of my stuff."

I was close enough to hear what was said. 'You are going to give her guns to her?'

"Yeah, I guess I am. I'll explain later. Is the other bag packed as well?" He asked.

'Yeah, but why do you want those?' What was he talking about?

"Because I do that's why. Anyway, I need to get off here. I guess I will see you in a few days."

'Stay safe, and keep an eye open.'

"I will. You do the same." He hung up the phone and sat it down. "It's done. They will be in the bag."

I moved closer to him and felt his arms wrap around me. "Thank you."

He kissed the top of my head and we sat there in the darkness of the car, holding onto each other, wondering what the next few days was going to bring.

**I am going to warn you now before I post the next chapter. It will be dark. Darker than most. You have been warned. I needed something that would pale in comparison to everything that has happened and put everything on its head. Again, you have been warned.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Ezio**

The plane shook violently as the engine began to sputter. "Jenna, you have to get this thing onto the ground!" I yelled over the noise from the failing engine.

"I'm trying!" She yelled back. "Mayday! Mayday! This Alpha Charlie niner niner five Tango. Engine failure is emanate. We are going down. Repeat we are going down!" She called out our location to the person in the other end of her radio. "Hold on. This is going to be rough!"

I looked ahead and saw where she was aiming for. It was a plowed field. "Jenna, shit!" And the engine failed.

The eerie silence greeted my ears and watched the ground rush up to meet us. We were coming in too fast and too steep. "I can't get the nose up!" She screamed.

I grabbed the other control and tried to help her, but it mattered little because all we managed to do was turn slightly and it hit the ground at an angle and tumbled nearly end over end. The last thing I remember yelling before I blacked out was her name.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

The first thing that hit me was the pain as I came back to the world of the living. "Jenna?" I coughed through the smoke. Something was on fire. I turned my head and saw her slumped against the door, blood was everywhere. "Oh God, Jenna!" I yelled as I tried to unbuckle myself from the seat.

I finally managed it and got to her. Her eyes were closed and I placed my fingers to her neck. There was nothing. "No, no, no." I fell back into my seat, tears pouring from my eyes. "Don't leave me. Not yet." I looked at her and watched the smoke roll into the small cockpit we were in. I didn't care. Let me burn with her. I couldn't do this again.

Reaching forward, I coughed again and took her hand into mine. "I'm here, il mio diletto. I am not leaving you."

Silence. I would never hear her voice again. I let the side of my head rest on the head rest of my seat. I couldn't leave her. I would not let her burn. Not without me.

Tears ran down my face, and I closed my eyes. Sights of our wedding day and her smiling face looking at me, tears in her beautiful blue eyes as she said "I do." The day she told me she was pregnant. She was so terrified that I would run, but I gathered her in my arms and kissed her breathless. The moment Marcus was born. I cried alongside her as his wails filled the room.

"_I will make you a promise right here and now. When this is over, I will hang up the gun and blades. I will stay here for as long as you like. I swear to you."_

_She sighed. "I just want you for as long as I can have you."_

The conversation we had when I came home a week ago. She knew I would outlive her. She knew that every day and yet still stayed at my side. I knew I would have to live for her. Make the world right for our son to live in and raise a family in.

I cried as I released her body from the buckles and pulled her towards me. "I'm sorry." I kissed her bloody forehead and cradled her body to me. "I am so sorry."

The memories of carrying her like this caused me to stumble as I walked towards the flames and out the hole in the back where the tail section should have been. She was always falling asleep in the chair in our room reading books or manuals for a new car. She had to know everything.

When I was far enough away, I laid her gently down in a patch of grass and I collapsed next to her. My tears became wails. My wife, my beloved wife of nine years, lay in the grass next to me, and I was alive. I would always live. "God damn you!" I screamed into the sky. "I don't want this anymore!"

I heard the sirens in the distance. I knew I had to get away from here. They could not find me. Jenna had only out on the manifest that it was just her, that way if Abstergo found it, they would not know I was with her. She would be safe. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

Placing a soft kiss on her lips, I stood and made it over to the plane. I needed my bag. It was stored behind my seat so I know it was still there. Quickly grabbing it, I ran into the woods, only looking back once when I hit the wood line, and fresh tears ran down my face.

**Altair**

"Ezio, oh god! Where are you?" Alanna had answered the phone a moment later. "We are on our way! Please just stay where you are."

"Alanna, what is going on?" I asked as I drove over the Oklahoma Kansas border.

"The plane went down. Jenna's dead." I heard the sorrow in her voice.

"Oh no. Where is he?" I had to get to him before he did something stupid.

She told me where to go and I stomped on the gas. It was at least an hour north of us. If I punched the gas hard enough, I could shave time off, and I knew the Charger could do it. It was the car I had spent a few years repairing and repainting, then abandoned when I burnt my cabin to the ground. I didn't know that Jenna and Ezio had rescued the car and fixed it back up. It was her gift to me.

Now she was gone. She had become my friend right after the incident ten years ago. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have eaten or tried to live. Jen had pushed at me until I pushed back. That was how she knew I would be alright on my own two feet. Also, she never turned me away when I would show up in the middle of the night, drunk or worse, covered in blood. It was always the same. She would grab fresh clothes for me, send me for a shower, and start the coffee. Never asking questions, just making sure I was alright.

I felt a few tears fall as I pushed the 440 to the breaking point, and then backed off. I could not blow up the car. She had told me just yesterday that she had to go back through it and redo all of my work on the motor because of the heat of the fire. The car had been almost destroyed, but she brought her back from the dead.

My brain stopped then clicked and restarted. Like she had me. The car was me. She pushed me until I could be on my own, and then went back after the Charger because I had told her it was my project. I had worked on it for years. She worked on me for years. Never gave up on me when I had given up on myself. Oh shit! I never did tell her thank you. Now, I would never get the chance.

I swiped the tears with the back of my arm as I raced towards the crash site.

I pulled up to the woods where Ezio had told Alanna he would be. I saw the smoke rising slightly from the distance. Pulling over to the side of the small road, I got out and called his name. No answer. "Call his phone." I looked at Alanna. She nodded, reached in the window and called it.

Quietly, but I could hear it in the distance. I took off in a dead run. Vaulting fallen trees and dodging bushes, I found him curled up on his side, out cold. His left hand looked like it had been burnt and blood oozed from a gash on his calf. I knelt next to him, and checked his pulse. He was still with us physically, but mentally was another thing all together.

"Ezio." I shook him gently. He stirred, but did not move. I shook him again. "Come on, man, we have to move. They are going to find us here."

"Just leave me here, Altair. I don't want to do this anymore." His voice was hollow. "I should have known better than to love again." I watched his eyes open. I shivered at the sight of them. They were dead, much like my own were when I thought Alanna was dead.

"No, you were the one that told me that love is a good thing. You pushed me until I admitted that I loved Alanna and I know you better than this. You are not a quitter. Now, come on. We have to get you to the car and out of here." I gently helped him to his feet and wrapped one of his arms around my neck. "We are brothers, Ezio. I am not giving up on you. This is how I am going to pay your wife back for saving my ass all those years ago." I grabbed his bag and held on to it.

I half dragged him, half carried him to the wood line and as soon as Alanna waved us forward, I got him in the backseat. She climbed back there with him, cradling his head on her lap.

She looked down at him, tears falling down her cheeks. "We need to move." She smoothed his hair down, and whispered to him to sleep.

I climbed in the driver's seat and took off, careful not to draw attention to us.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

We stopped for the night in a roadside motel. We gently got him into the room and striped the burnt and bloodstained clothes from his body. He was unresponsive and I could not yell at him over it. Alanna and I cleaned his wounds and burns. I ended up having to trim a few sections of his hair from the fire. Not much, but it had to be done.

Once we had him under the covers and in a restless sleep, I laid on the other bed with Alanna pulled firmly to me and wept into her chest. She ran her hand through my hair and kissed my head every once in a while, telling me it was okay.

I didn't remember falling asleep, but when I woke up, the sun was already up, and Alanna sat on Ezio's bed, watching him eat. "Come on, Ezio, you know this is not how she would want you to be." She held his hand and smiled at him.

The Italian looked at her, not uttering a word, but he continued to eat, face blank, eyes swollen from the crying. I know I didn't look any better. Alanna looked over at me, and gave me a smile. I gave her one of my own. "At least he's eating." I said as I sat up on the edge of the bed.

"Yeah." She turned her gaze back to Ezio. "I'll be back. I am going to get you your coffee from the table." She leaned forward, kissed his cheek and stood.

Walking around the foot of the bed, she grabbed two Styrofoam cups and handed one to me. "Thank you." I took it gratefully.

"I hope you don't mind, I went into town and bought a few things. I had to make a few calls as well." She handed Ezio his cup and he took it. "Step outside with me a minute." She walked over to the door and walked out.

I was only wearing a pair of sweats, so I grabbed a shirt from my bag and followed her out. She was leaning on the rail looking out at the parking lot. "What did you need?"

"I called the others and told them of what happened. I called Maya too. She already knew and was taking Marcus to the Farm. From there, I have William keep him there. Jenna's father is going to pick him up in a few days. I have told Maya that no one is to know Ezio's real name. I didn't know who else to trust. Becca and Dawson are already in Kentucky. Des and Tom are in Tennessee, and Kate and Conner are in Florida still. Their car blew a rod half way up the state." She hung her head. "William is going to look into crash. I don't think it was an accident or engine failure."

I knew what she was thinking. "You think it was Abstergo, don't you?"

She turned her head and looked at me. "Yes. They got all of this from my head. I knew who Ezio was seeing before the accident. I knew about everything. They found them because of me."

I pulled her to me. "Alanna, you cannot blame this on yourself. Do not put her death on your shoulders. It will weight you down and eat at you. If you want to blame anyone, blame the bastards that did this."

Her arms wrapped around my waist. "I know, but if I had ran with you guys that night. If I had not played the hero, everything would be fine."

"No, it wouldn't. They would have figured something out and come after us. We just hadn't covered our tracks well enough. We now have to be even more careful from now on." I rubbed circles into her back. "I need your help from here on out. I need you."

"You will always have me." She hugged me closer and we held each other for a few minutes. "Come on. We had better get in there before he does something that we might not like. He is not in his right mind."

I released her, and lightly kissed her lips. "I understand."

We headed back into the room. Ezio had placed his garbage on the nightstand and was now curled up under the blankets, trying to hide from the world. "I am going to get the bags into the car and gas it up. Can you get him dressed and moving? Moving is optional."

"I think I can handle that." I nodded and began the task of getting my clothes and his and getting us both dressed.

**Desmond**

I raced along the highway at speeds close to 130 mph. I had lost the black SUV that had been tailing us for the last six miles or so. Tom broke off and got off the ramp to a bypass. They could not follow two motorcycles and I was the main focus of their attention, so they stayed on me.

Zipping around a car and between two semi-trailers I saw Tom shoot back onto the highway in front of me. I gunned the gas and caught up with him. I hit the two way radios we had been using to communicate. "We need to get the hell off the highway and take back roads."

I saw him shake his head. "Not a good idea. We need to get the hell out of this area. We may have lost them for now, but they are going to find us again if we are not careful."

"So, what do you suggest?" I asked as I throttled the bike back. I had already burned through a half tank. I could not run out any time soon.

"I studied the map before we left. Three exits up is another highway. It loops south. Stay on that for twenty miles or so and then hit back roads for a while. We, both, are going to need gas soon. I am sitting where you are." He looked down at his gage.

"Sounds like a plan. You lead the way then." I pulled back a bit more and let him take the lead.

His bike shot forward and I stayed to his left and at the back tire. We stayed like that until we hit our turnoff, but we did not see the SUV pull onto the highway, and by the time I saw them, it was too late.

"Tom! Move!" I yelled, but it was too late. A small muzzle flash and his front tire blew out. I watched in horror as the bike wobbled and slid with him on the machine. I grabbed the brake and slowed down, but the SUV hit him and he went flying.

I saw him impact with the pavement I knew he was dead before his body stopped rolling. The bike went sliding down the interstate and I took off, pushing the Ducati for more. It climbed and left the hit man in the dust. Ezio was right, as I rocketed down the road. They were picking us off one by one. I had to get off and call the others. I didn't want to leave a brother behind, but I had no choice. There was nothing I could do for him. He was dead.

I felt a few tears escape as I shot between cars and tractor trailers and pulled off the exit. I nearly lost it at the end of the ramp and let the back tire whip me around and I caught it in time and shot down the street. Nearly forty minutes of running, I pulled into the station and pulled off my helmet. I don't know if they thought I was on the red Honda when they shot out the tire, but I don't think they cared. They wanted us all dead.

Filling the tank, I grabbed a drink, and paid the man inside. Rolling the bike over to a picnic table, I sat down and pulled out my cell. Three rings and Altair answered. "Tom's dead." I held my head in my hand and looked at the ground.

'What happened?'

"We were being followed and lost the tail. Coming up with another route we were taking it, when another SUV came up on the side of us. He shot out Tom's front tire and then hit him. I think they thought they had got me because they did not follow me when I took off." I growled. "Who's next, huh?"

'All of us, Desmond. We are all next. Jenna, Tom. They will be avenged. Don't worry about that.'

"What should I do now?" I was lost. I was no good with a map and I had no GPS on me. Our phones were basic phones. Burners if you will. Not traceable and cheap as hell. It was the only way we could stay in touch and not be tracked, but they still were finding a way.

'Where are you now?' He asked and I could hear paper rustling around.

"Just past Chattanooga. I think crossed into Georgia on my mad dash." I started at the ground. I was getting pissed. We just lost another, and there was not a damn thing we could do about it.

'You are on I-75 then, heading south. I need you to continue on to Atlanta. Kate and Conner are heading there now. Call them and set a place to meet. Preferably outside the city.'

"Will do. Where are you guys at?" I sat up and opened my pop.

'Just entered Kentucky. We are still a while away. Just stay low and we will all get there. Good luck, Des.'

"You too." I hung up the phone and dialed Conner's number. He answered.

'Hey, what's up?'

"Where are you?" I asked.

'At least a few hours outside Atlanta. We just got back on the road. I had to find a car and get it going.'

"I need to meet up with you. Tom's dead, Conner." I was still having a hard time with it.

'Oh shit! Damn! I can meet you anywhere on 75 or on 85. Pick one?'

Was in the only moron in this group that couldn't read a map? Most likely. "Just north of Atlanta. I will give you the exit number when I find one that looks good. I am probably two hours from there."

'Sounds good. See you then.'

I hope I saw him. I don't think I could handle losing anyone else today.

**Il mio diletto- My beloved**

**Now I know I have used this before and I have it as amato. They mean the same thing, but it depends on how they are used and if you throw my in beforehand. It's weird, I know. **

**Okay, I was balling my eyes out as I wrote the first part of this. I mean, I had to walk away and compose myself so I would not cry into my keyboard. That was the hardest thing I have ever written. I have never actually killed off a character that I liked. I didn't kill one, but two in a chapter. **


	20. Chapter 20

**Conner**

Desmond trailed behind us on the Ducati while we made our way across the state of South Carolina. I had been in touch with Rebecca, Dawson, Altair and Alanna, and giving them hourly reports. Since the death of Jenna two days ago, and the murder of Tom just yesterday, we had been on guard and on edge. We had decided until we reached our destination, we would call every hour on the hour with a report. If we could not get through, keep trying.

I yawned in the driver's seat. Kate looked at me. "I can drive if you want, Conner."

I shook my head. "Desmond can't take a break, so it wouldn't be fair if I let you take over." I cracked the window and the cool breeze began to wake me up. "I just want to get there and get to somewhere where they can't touch us. We have already lost two people. I don't want to hear about any others." I had seen far too many brothers and sisters lose their lives in my lifetime.

"Conner, I understand that, but you are going to kill us both if you do not let yourself rest. Desmond will let you know of he needs a break." She shook her head. "Can you ride a motorcycle?"

"Yeah, took one cross country a few years back." I pulled my right hand off the steering wheel and flexed the tired digits.

"Why don't you let me take over for an hour, and you can rest. When you wake, you can take over for Des, and then he can climb in here and take a nap." She went back to reading her book. "When you have made up your mind, let me know."

Thinking about what she said, the only thing that came to mind was, damn, the woman did it again. "You know, you should run for president. You can get anyone to do anything."

She gave me a lopsided smile. "It comes with age, and knowing that you are going to leave this world. It is a natural thing to want to pass your knowledge onto the next generation. You guys do not have that problem. The dying part, I mean, so you do not seem to want to pass on your knowledge and thus, you are not as wise as I am."

"That is one messed up logic, but damn it makes sense." I grinned at her. "Now I know why I like you."

Shrugging, she kept reading her book. Turning on the turn signal, I pulled into a parking lot. Desmond followed behind. Getting out of the car, I walked back to him. He pulled off the helmet and I could see the kid was about to drop. I don't think he would make it another hour. "Des, why don't you go crawl in the back seat and take a nap? I will take the bike and Kate will drive the car. You are about to drop."

"I'm fine, Conner." His eyes drooped and he stumbled a bit.

I grabbed the front of his shirt and kept him on his feet. "No you are not. You are exhausted and going to crash if you try to ride again."

"Can't rest." His eyes closed and slowly reopened.

Kate walked up and took him by the arm. "Come on Des. You need to rest. Just for a bit. Conner will take good care of your bike." She smiled at him, and he let her lead him to the car.

Once she got him in the car, she walked back over to me with one of the heavier jackets. "Thanks for getting him to go." I took the jacket and slid it on and zipped it up.

"Alanna was always that way. Kept pushing herself to the point she would fall over. Are all of you like that?" She took the helmet off the seat of the bike and held it out.

I took it from her hands. "Yeah, I guess. It's from our training. If you are worn out, find more and keep going. That is how I have lived for so many years." I pulled the helmet on and buckled it.

Shaking her head sadly, she sighed. "You five try to carry the world on your shoulders. You can't save everyone and you can't do it all at one time. One day, you are going to wonder what you have done to make a difference and then you will see that really, you haven't."

I looked at her. "What do you mean by that?"

"Conner, you, Alanna, Ezio, and Altair have been fighting the Templars for many years in a losing battle. I know I have seen both sides. Not a one of you have scratched the surface of their operation. I know a few places that would help you get a foothold in this war, but it will be risky." She touched my arm. "I have some things that I stole when I ran from them. It might help, or it might not. I don't know how much of worth they would be."

This was new. "Where are they?"

"At my sister's house. I will give you the address and you guys can have someone get them. She has been hiding them for me for years." She headed back to the car. "I will call her when we leave here."

I straddled the bike and started it up. Waiting until she pulled out, I followed behind her.

**Alanna**

Altair shook me awake when we had made it to the meeting point with the others. Rebecca and Dawson were already there, and Conner, Desmond and Kate would be there shortly.

I yawned and stretched as I got out of the car. Ezio was asleep in the back seat and none of us had the heart to wake him up yet. Walking over to them, they looked up at us. Rebecca nodded. "How is he?" She looked over at the car.

"Not good. Still won't talk and now glares at everyone that passes him." I sighed and shook my head. "He was not ready to let her go."

"Maya and her father are going to bury her with her mother. I wish we could stay long enough for that, but they might find us if we stay here too long." She looked closed her eyes and hung her head. "Conner, Des, and Kate should be here in a few minutes. When they arrive, we will get aboard the plane and get out of here."

"I hate running, but it seems this is the only way." Altair stuck his hands in his pocket, and growled. "You know when he comes out of this he is going to want blood, right?"

Dawson nodded. "We know. That's why we are just going to have to channel that rage in a good way. What about his son? Who is going to raise him?"

"Jenna's dad, Matt Paris. He and I have been talking and he knows why we are running. He doesn't know about the whole immortality thing, but he knows we are being hunted by Abstergo. He is going to stay at the Farm for right now and keep Marcus safe." Altair sighed and shook his head.

I watched them interact with each other. They were making plans on what was going to happen when we got to Spain. Walking back over to the Charger, I saw Ezio sitting up in the back seat. Opening the door, I smiled at him. "Hey, welcome back."

He looked up at me with those slightly dead eyes. "Hey." His voice was rough and sounded like he had been gargling rocks.

"Ezio, would you like to come out and do some of the planning with us?" I tilted the seat forward, but he didn't move. "It's going to be hard for a while."

He glared at me causing me to back away. "How do you know that? How do you know how hard it's going to be? You have no memories of it being hard. Who was the last person you mourned, Alanna? Huh?"

I clinched my fists. I knew his outburst was from grief and it was not completely directed at me. "I know plenty. For seven years I walked around wondering who the hell I was. Did I have a family? Did I have children? I did not know the answer to the simplest question and that was what my own name was. My birthday, where I was born, none of it! I saw faces that I didn't know if the people were alive or dead. Try doing that. It is worse than having the person die. To have everything that made you, you, and have it striped away. You are nothing. Blank, broken, twisted. You know nothing of the life you used to live.

"I lived through that. Hell, I am still living through that. A prisoner in your own mind. Fighting against yourself to be the person you used to be. You want to talk about mourning, Ezio. Try mourning the way I have. I know you loved her, but you knew going into it, one day you would have to watch her die. Mourn her. I am not telling you not to, but damn it, don't lose yourself doing it."

I walked away from the car, and he climbed out. "Alanna wait."

Stopping in my tracks, I turned and looked at him. "I'm not mad at you, if that is what you are wondering. I know you are going through a lot and having to leave everything behind again. I just wanted you to know you are not the only one that is mourning."

He walked over to me and hung his head. "I know. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you. You have been trying to help me."

I touched his arm and smiled at him. "We will avenge her, believe me, but we need your help. You and Altair are tactical geniuses. You two are a team and work well together. I am just the sidekick."

Altair walked over and one hand on my shoulder and another on Ezio's. "No, this is how it should have been for years. The three of us, as a team." He looked at us with a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. "Now, we have some planning to do and not a lot of time to do it."

The three of us walked over to the other two. Rebecca and Dawson smiled at Ezio, but he did not return it. "Welcome back." Becca nodded her head.

He brushed past them and looked at the map. "You realize that it is a far trek from Madrid to Masyaf."

"That's as close as we can get without finding a flight to somewhere closer. We were hoping you could find something that we were missing." Altair stopped next to him and rested his hands on the hood.

Ezio looked down at the map. "Ships are a good way to get around the Mediterranean, and you can charter them for fairly cheap. We could leave in Barcelona, and travel to Naples. From there travel across land to Bari. The Templars have not holds in Albania, so when we cross the Adriatic into their lands, catch a flight to Tripoli. It will be a headache and our wallets will hurt, but with the right amount of money, you can do anything in those countries with no identification." He turned his eyes on us. "I just hope everyone doesn't plan on going as a group. That would be a bad thing."

Altair shook his head. "No. We are going to break up in groups again. Who do you want to go with?"

"If it's all the same to you, I would like to go on my own." His eyes reverted back to the map.

"Ezio, I don't think that is the greatest idea. I mean, having someone with you would be better." I stepped up to his left. "I'll go with you, if you would like."

That got a look from Altair. "Why don't we three stay together? It would be like old times."

"Then what about Desmond? Right now, he is with Kate and Conner." I asked. "And if we left it like that, Rebecca and Dawson would be on their own."

"We'll take Desmond with us. It would be nice to have one of you immortals with us." Rebecca smiled and leaned against the side of the truck. "At least we will be among friends."

Altair and I looked at her then at each other. "It sounds good. Ezio, you are with us and Desmond is with them."

"Guys, I can handle myself." Ezio spun around, fists clinched.

"I know you can, but if you were captured, we would never know until it was too late. We are doing this for everyone's protection, not because we think you are no capable of handling yourself." I had to calm him down before he blew up. "Hey, why don't we take a short walk and let you cool down."

He closed his eyes and breathed out slowly. "Alanna, I am not a child. Please do not treat me as such."

I knew what I was about to do was going to either get me hit, or screamed at. I stepped in front of him and shoved him into the truck. His eyes flew open and radiated murder. I pulled out a small knife I had dug out of the bag and held it to his neck. "I know you are hurting, and I understand that. You going off on your own is crazy and it's the grief talking. I didn't want to pull this card, but what the hell would Jenna do to you right now if she heard you talking like this?"

His eyes bore into mine, and I knew I could not back down. I was supposed to be tough and hard. "She would call me an idiot, and slap the back of my head." The fight bled from his eyes, and was replaced by fresh pain.

I backed off and slipped the knife back into my pocket. "Now, are you going to take our help or are you going to be a stubborn jackass?"

My shoulders heaved in anger. I was pissed at him for trying to be an asshole, at Abstergo for doing this to him, and at myself for not accepting help all those years ago. I wanted to take the pain from him, but I couldn't. So, I chose option two. Channel it like Dawson said.

His shoulders slumped in defeat. "I will go with you guys."

"Good." And I walked off.

**Altair**

Alanna stormed off towards the car. I had to blink a few times in shock on what she had just done to him. That was not the new Alanna nor was it the old. That s was someone altogether. Someone trying stay alive and keep a wounded brother alive for another day.

"What the hell was that?" Dawson watched her walk away and then Ezio follow after her.

"I really don't know. Sometimes the only way to get through to him is violence, but that was not always Alanna's style. She may have screamed at him, but to actually pull a knife, was different." I scratched my head in wonder.

Rebecca shook her head. "I don't know. From what we saw of her in the memories, she was violent."

I looked at her. "That she was, but never towards him. That was like her brother. She only got violent with me."

Dawson stood next to his wife. "He may be having a hard time with it because you and Alanna are together, myself and Becca, and Conner pairing off with Kate. He would have been stuck with Desmond."

I knew where he was with the grief. It was still fresh and he was trying to deny it. Say it never happened. Hoping that when that phone went off, it would be her. I went through it when Alanna was gone. Looking over that them, they sat on the ground next to the Charger. Her head was on his shoulder and his on top of hers, hands interlaced. If it was someone else, I would be over there and pissed, but I knew how she was. She had always been a caregiver.

Before I could say anything, a motorcycle pulled up and stopped by us. Conner pulled off the helmet. "Hey, how's it going?" His face was held no emotion and he looked tired.

"Same as a few hours ago and better than yesterday." I shook my head.

He knew what I was talking about. All he did was nod and got off the bike. Sitting the helmet on the seat, he popped his back and sighed in relief. "Anything good to report?'

"Not really. We have a plan as to get us to Syria, but it is a long trip." I walked over to the map with him. "Where are Kate and Desmond?"

"Des is changing a flat and they will here in a few. I rode ahead to let you guys know." He covered his mouth with the back of his hand and yawned. "Sorry, I took over Desmond's bike when the boy was about to fall off of it. I haven't stopped yet."

I knew the feeling. "I feel for you. Alanna and I have been taking shifts with Ezio. Trying to make sure he doesn't go on a one man killing spree like I did. I won't let him do that again."

His eyebrow rose. "Again?"

"He did it when his family was killed by the Templars when he was seventeen. Took him nearly twenty years, but he did it." Rebecca piped up. "Man, he was focused." She then turned to me and smiled. "So were you."

I shook my head. There was nothing focused about what I did. "No, that was just plain hate, anger and pain in what I was doing."

"Well anyway, let's get back to the subject at hand." Conner yawned once more, and shook his head to clear it. "I hope we get to sleep on this flight."

Dawson nodded. "Yeah, David has us in the crew's area. This flight is to just get things. No export, just import, so it's just a skeleton crew. Him and another guy."

"Cool. I could sleep a day the way I feel." He rubbed his eyes and stretched.

"I know that one. I would just take a corner and a few hours of shut eye." I began to fold up the map when Kate and Desmond pulled in.

They climbed out of the car, and walked over to us. "I guess we are ready to go?" Desmond asked.

I nodded and looked at everyone. "Dawson, Rebecca, you take the lead. We will follow you in. Conner, I will take the bike. You look like you are ready to drop." He nodded in agreement. Ezio and Alanna walked over and Kate wrapped her in a hug. "Ezio, will you drive the Charger?"

"Sure." He looked over at the car in question. I couldn't read his face, but I knew he was thinking about the woman that rebuilt the car.

"Let's load up and get moving. We are running on borrowed time." Dawson headed to the truck, and Rebecca followed. Ezio headed to the Charger. Conner, Kate and Desmond walked back to the car, and I straddled the Ducati. I had missed riding a bike. I used to ride them a lot, but then I took to muscle cars.

Firing up the motor, I followed the caravan out of the lot we were in and went towards the small airport.


	21. Chapter 21

I had to steady my trembling breath and my shaky hands as Altair and I walked up to the gate of Masyaf village. Too many years had passed and the village was in complete disrepair. I stopped at the gate and felt my breathing hitch. The sands blew across my path and swirled in the wind, causing a mini tornado at my feet.

"Alanna?" Altair stopped at my side. He knew my fears of this place and the way I had left. I awoke to nothing. No answers to the questions that I had. No one to confide in.

"I just need a minute." I could hear my voice shake. My nerves were jumping and the tremble in my normally steady hands worsened. "I thought I would never come back here. Ever."

He took my hand, and held it, trying to help me steady myself. "I know what you mean. I had no intentions of ever coming back here as well, but you know as well as I do that this place is the best shot we have for staying under the radar."

I breathed in and breathed out. I knew what he was saying. I really did, but it did not calm my fears. Ezio walked up behind us. He had been quiet most of the trip, adding small comments here and there, but nothing as the way of conversation.

"Alanna, you need to relax. What terrifies you of this place? Why are you so strung out over coming back here?" He asked as he laid a hand on my trembling shoulder.

"Too many memories. Too many bad memories." I tried to back away from the gate, but they held me fast. "Please, I think I will stay out her for a time. I think I'm going to be sick." And I promptly expelled my lunch in a nearby bush.

I felt hands on my back and keeping my braid from flipping forward. Hot tears ran down my face as I relieved the contents of my stomach into the barren bush. I shook more and felt the sting of the memories come flooding back. The night I escaped, the training sessions, the run in with a few of the older assassins. I bit my lip to stop myself from crying out. Using the pain to focus my mind and calm myself.

"Alanna, you need to talk to us." I could hear Altair's voice in the back of my pain induced calmness. "What is going on?" His voice was borderline hysterics. "Alanna, please talk to us."

"I'm…I'm alright." I sat back onto my legs and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. "I was teased a lot when I was here. By many of the men here. I was beat as well. You never knew. I never told anyone. They always made sure the marks were hidden from prying eyes and the beatings were done away from onlookers. Abbas joined in on few of them. I had no one to turn to. No one to tell them to stop."

Altair dropped to his knees beside me and gathered me in his arms. "You should have come to me. I would have had them punished." He rocked me gently and my trembles subsided for a time.

"Then they would have thought I was your whore. They already believed we shared a bed behind Maria's back. I was nothing more than your plaything. Something to amuse you." I shuttered at the names they would call me. The things they spat in their drunken rants. "I was their amusement. Their toy."

"Alanna, you should not have dealt with it. You should have told." He whispered into my ear.

Ezio knelt next to us and laid a hand on my knee. "You should have come clean, but the bastards are dead and they can no longer harm you."

"But the memories still linger. Still dog my heels and chewed at my mind when I am unaware. I have tried in vain to repress those memories and hold onto the ones that really matter, but I have not succeeded." I closed my eyes and tried to think of a better time.

I thought about Darim and Sef running around the practice field. Sef barely two and on chubby legs. Darim chasing after his baby brother and Maria watching them like only a mother would. I would keep my distance as I knew I should and wonder if I would be the same with any children I bore. Now I knew I would never see that day. I would never watch children that I had run and play.

"Are you going to be alright?" Ezio asked and I finally looked at him.

I nodded slowly and took myself from Altair's arms. "I think I might be ready."

They helped me to my feet and led me to the gates once more. I could feel the fear creeping up in me once more, but I knew it was something I could control. I had to steady myself and confront my demons in this place that was once my home.

Gently, they led me to the well that once supplied water to the town. It had long since grown stagnant from no use. I could smell the stench from my place a few feet away. My eyes drank in the buildings that were once houses and shops to the people that called this place home. Long abandoned for nature to claim once more, but on the wind that blew through, I could hear the hustle and bustle of the people as they moved through their day.

The trees shook from the wind, leaves long shed from the winter that had just finished rolling in. I could smell the snow in the air, and the chill that would accompany it. I could hear the ground crunch under our feet as we walked the path that had been laid out for us many years ago. I was coming full circle, and coming home.

Our feet stopped at the base of the path that led to the old citadel. I felt Altair's hand grip mine a bit tighter. The whispers of the past crept into my ears as we steadied our beating hearts and continued our journey.

Up the winding path until we came to the protective gate that once kept the enemy out. It was rusted and falling apart from being left to elements. Sadness washed over me as I thought of this once majestic place and the souls that filled the halls with life. They had moved on. Taking the fight underground. Abandoning this fortress so the Templars would have a smaller chance of destroying them in one place.

"Do you think anyone has ever thought of coming back here? Bringing the order back to its roots?" I asked as we looked on.

"No, I don't think they would come back here. The only thing most remember about this place anymore is betrayal. The way Al Mualim betrayed us and attempted to destroy us." Altair shook his head and I watched his hand go to the small horizontal scar on his stomach.

I knew what it was from. The sleep of the dead. I had heard stories about it and Malik had told me it was so Al Mualim could remake Altair. Create the perfect assassin to do his bidding, but the old man had not counted on how strong willed he was when he began. How the Master Assassin that listened to no one would begin to listen to the world around him. Drink in the knowledge that had been kept from him. He had come out a better man for it.

Ezio looked at the gate. "We are not getting through here. Do you know another way around?"

Altair nodded, as did I. This was once our home, our playground. We knew her cracks and crevices as well as we knew each other. "Follow me." The once Grandmaster of this decaying fortress walked around the side and began to climb. I followed him, and Ezio brought up the rear.

Up the wall we went like the old days. I almost could feel my robes' weight once more. The way the fabric would rub on my skin with each movement. The leather gloves that I wore once to protect the soft pads of my hands from the sharp rocks that we held on to when we climbed the walls and rock ledges. Mine had long been destroyed from overuse and time. My robes were no more than dust in some hole in Monteriggioni where I buried them. That was where I buried the last of my life. The last part of Masyaf, until today.

I made it to the top of the wall and looked on at the crumbling parapets of Masyaf Castle. No lord had ever lived here. No kings graced her halls, but her protectors were her kings and her lords. And now, there was nothing that graced her halls but birds and vermin.

Finding a way down was as easy as going up. Our boots kicked up the dirt as we landed and swirled in the dying light. The sun was fading into the mountains. The chill was beginning to seep into my bones and I rubbed my arms to stave it off.

"I guess we will camp in the gardens tonight and do a once through to see if we can set up shop here." I heard Altair say as he headed into the door less portal to the interior of the fortress. We followed in his footsteps and up the stairs he went. He did not stop to look at anything, for his eyes stayed forward and his strides were determined.

He did not stop until he was outside in the gardens. The once beautifully carved pillars lay broken all around. Time, it seemed, ravaged all the beauty that was once here. I sighed as I kicked a small piece of stone from my path and watched it bounce and skid off the side of the small stone landing we stood on.

Altair moved to the grassy area that crunched under the heels of his hiking boots. Ezio and I walked behind him and stopped next to him as he looked over at the small reflecting pool one level down. The pillars that once rose from it lay broken as well, filling the pool with chunks of stone and dirt.

I knew this was where we would stay for the night, and we began to set up the tent we had brought. I walked the garden collecting small branches that had fallen from the trees that graced the small oasis. Setting them down, I saw it from the corner of my eye. My bench. The one I would sit upon and look out in the direction of my first home.

Walking over to it, I heard the dried grass crunch under the sole of my boots. The stone slab was cracked in places and I had doubts that it would hold my weight any longer, but I knelt down and touched the place I once spent hours at, watching the mountains and listening to the river below. Malik had told me once in humor that I was going to leave my mark on Masyaf and it would be an imprint of my rump on that stone. I laughed at him and said he was right.

A small smile graced my lips as I thought of the one man at the time that believed in me and pushed me. Altair watched from afar, and nodded his approval at my progress. He could not be directly involved in my training, so that was to fall on Malik, but in Jerusalem, we would talk when we could. I would listen to his words and hoped one day I would be as good as he was. I guess that day had come and gone.

"I remember you spending every free moment here for the first year or two. Always looking out at Acre, even though you could not see the city." Altair's voice brought me back to reality and from my thoughts.

I stood and smiled. "You and Malik were always telling me that I needed to leave it behind. My life was no longer there. It was here in this place."

"But your heart laid there. In the city that created you. Made you what you were." He smiled as well.

"Just as your heart lay here in these stone walls. This place was your home, your life. You were born here, and remade here. I was reborn here as well. Born into a life I knew nothing about, until you thought I could be something more than a common thief." I kept my eyes upon the horizon and watched the last remaining rays of sun fade away, bathing the sky in the fiery colors that only a sunset can bring.

The night chased the color from the sky, and darkness descended upon the land. The three of us sat around the fire telling stories of our adventures, or what I could recall. They decided to fill me in on a few missing years of our time in Rome and how I would slink around the city for them, a full-fledged assassin, as a scantily clad courtesan. I could hear Altair's teeth grind as Ezio began to laugh about how men would follow me and call out for a night with the tanned mistress that walked the streets. I chuckled and leaned into him, and assured him that he was the only one that would have me now.

We began to yawn and knew it was time to sleep. The others would be showing up in the next few days. We had been hasty in our arrival and made it here several days before we thought we would. The difference between us and them was we could find our way here in our sleep with no guide.

I crawled into the sleeping bag between the two guys and felt sleep's embrace once my head was down. I let the sounds of the night lull me into a restless sleep.

*/*/*/*/*/*

I don't know how much time past as I tossed and turned in that sleeping bag between Altair and Ezio, but I bolted awake, heart hammering in my chest and sweat pouring down my face. The nightmares had returned, and I let my face rest in my hands. The men to either side of me did not stir, completely oblivious to the war that raged in my mind. I found the tent stifling, so quietly I left the confines of the canvas and stepped into the chill of the early morning.

Snow had begun to fall, and it collected on the landscape, turning everything to white. I smiled at the symbolism behind it. When I left here, the land was white, and to come back only to have to be bathed in white once more as I slept.

Slipping into the ancient hall, I wandered up the staircase to what once held Altair's study. The large table was still there, dust thick on its mahogany surface. I ran my fingers across it as I walked past, leaving trails through the dirt. I wandered through the dining hall, and the barracks. Nothing was left of our time here. Everything was gone, right down to the cooking kettle. Scavengers must have come sometime in the centuries, making off with anything they could carry.

Still I walked. Down the halls that had seen better days. Through the winding staircase and when I came to a stop, my breath caught in my throat. I was here. To the place that was my cocoon for a hundred years. My crypt. My trembling fingers raised and traced the ancient cravings of my name. Weather had not striped the words from the stone. They were the same now as they were when they had laid me to my eternal rest.

My eternal rest. Hah! What a joke. It was not rest I would have for eternity, but a never ending life. I let my hand drop back to my side and watched my breath come out into mist. I stepped away from the empty room and moved onto another I was most familiar with.

Altair's had been shut. Must likely by someone who sought riches from the famed Grandmaster. I gently opened the door and walked in. The room was dark and I turned on my light. The beams caught the dust that drifted lazily in the air. The light caught the stone that had his name inscribed on it. I touched the letters and shook my head. It was, again, the same.

I sighed and hung my head, hand still on the marker. "I should have never come here." I turned to see something move in the shadows. My light swung around, revealing nothing. I sighed in relief. I was jumping at things.

But something ate at me. Something told me to move and run. I stepped from the crypt and I saw it again. This time farther down. I gave chase and lost it around a corner, but my light found a stone that brought tears to my eyes. Malik's final resting place.

Was it him that brought me here? To show me that he was resting in peace, maybe with Kadar? I wiped the tears away, and smiled a bit. He was my friend, my mentor and the man who would never let me lie down and die. "Thank you, Malik." And I laid a gentle kiss on the stone.

**Altair**

I woke up with a start and found Alanna's bag long empty. "Ezio." I called out to the man who's light snores filled the small space. "Wake up."

He moved in his sleep and turned to face me. Eyes slowly coming back to life, still sleep heavy, but blinking. "What is the emergency?"

"Alanna's gone." I had already shed the bag and was pulling on my socks and boots.

He shook his head. "She's a big girl, Altair. Let her be." Rolling back over, I heard him snore once more.

I didn't like that she had taken off. No one knew how stable the walls that held this place aloft. I was not going to lose her to a cave in or a dark hole. Not when we had come this far.

I unzipped the tent and sighed in relief when I saw her walk out of the open doorway. She smiled at me and wiggled her fingers as she came down the stairs. She walked over to me and greeted me in a most unusual way. Grabbing me by the front of my jacket, she kissed me. My eyes widened at her boldness, but hey, I wasn't complaining. I pulled her to me and kissed her with the same intensity she gave.

When she pulled back, we were both breathless. "What was that for?" I asked as she laid her cheek against my chest and wrapped her arms around my waist.

"I have come to understand that I am lucky to have you. I could be walking this world alone, but for some reason they gave me you. My savior." I heard her sigh contently in my arms.

I couldn't help but chuckle. "You are my savior, Alanna. If not for you, I would have woken up in that crypt not knowing anything about what had happened or what was going on."

"Then I guess we saved each other."

"You know it. Now, what has put you in a good mood? Yesterday this place scared the hell out of you." I pulled back a bit and looked her in the face.

"I guess I finally confronted my demons, and now understand that they can no longer hurt me unless I let them." She smiled. "And now, you and I are going to take a tour of this place and you tell me if we can stay or not."

"First of all, I was saving something for you when we got here." I released her and climbed back in the tent. Ezio was still sawing logs and I let him sleep. He needed it. Grabbing the box from my pack, I stepped back out and zipped the tent back up.

She was standing there, looking up at the sky, light snow falling around her, and I captured the moment in my head. She was an innocent, as much as she tried to deny she wasn't. Right then and there, I saw the young woman I brought back from Acre, with nothing to her name but the clothes on her back, a few coins she got from me, and a dagger that was the world to her.

Her eyes met mine and I saw the blush creep up on her tanned cheeks like she had been caught doing something she should not have been doing. "I miss the snow." She merely said as I walked over to her.

I brushed the snowflake from her nose. "It looks good on you." And I led her inside.

I held her hand and marched out the front and over to the jump tower. The ladder was long gone and the only way up was to climb. "Race you to the top?" I grinned at her.

She looked up at the structure and then back at me. "I have never climbed it without the ladder."

"It's easy. Malik and I used to climb this whole place as kids without the aid of ladders or ropes." I pointed out the first handhold. "Come on. Race me."

A laugh escaped her lips. "What are you, ten?"

"Oh come on, Alanna." I smirked at her. "Afraid I will beat you?"

I knew I had her then because she smirked right back and began the ascent. I followed along and we reached the top together.

"You are in a good mood today." She commented as she stood with her back to my chest and I had my arms wrapped around her. We looked out at the falling snow and the world below.

"For hundreds of years now, we have been running from what we are. We have been hiding from the world and trying to lead a normal life. I had always resented this way of life. The immortality. It took everything away from me, but when I lost you, I realized, it gave me everything I needed as well. It just took a few hundred years and losing you to see that." I held her close and knew this was where I wanted to be.

I could feel her hands grip my arms. "When did you become so chivalrous?"

"I do it only for you and when no one else is around." I smiled at the words that came from my mouth. It was the same thing I said the night before she left. I wonder if she remembered when she had said them last.

My answer came swiftly when she turned my arms. ""Ah, you must protect your reputation of a cold, unfeeling person. I understand. You are a fake Altair Ibn La-Ahad. You want people be intimidated by you, but it does not work with me. I know what you really are."

"And what would that be?" She had remembered.

"You, Grandmaster, are mine, but not for the night. For as long as you will have me." She got on her tip toes and wrapped her arms around my neck.

A laugh escaped my lips as I looked down at her. "You actually remember that?"

She smiled. "A bit here and there. I know that was the night I left, if I am not mistaken?" I nodded. "Well, I am glad that some things are falling together. Now, you said you had something for me?"

I took her hands from my neck and pulled the box from the pocket of my coat. "I have been holding onto this for a long time now. I wanted to see if you remembered it."

She took it from my hand and opened it. I saw the tears gather in the corners of her eyes. "I…I joked around with you in Rome that I wanted a new dress for the one you made me ruin when we went through the villa." She pulled the necklace I had given her in Rome. "You found this in the marketplace and said it would look better on me than a new dress. I wore it forever, and that night in Paris, the night I left, the chain broke. I was heartbroken. You told me you would have it fixed."

I took it and slipped it around her neck and fastened the clasp. "I did have it fixed. I was going to give it back to you when we met up next. I never got that chance. I had it in a safe at one of my other places. I never got a chance to give it to you, until now."

"Thank you." She kissed me lightly. "You don't know how much this means to me."

**A mushy scene, I know. I never had any nice interaction between them in the first story and I thought it was high time I did. You know her fears of Masyaf and now they have come full circle. No one else is going to die, I will promise you that. Well, none of the characters that are main. And since no one would think to look for them there, they are kind of embracing their freedom. **


	22. Chapter 22

Months past in Masyaf as we fixed up the fortress and made it habitable. Rebecca, Dawson, Kate and Desmond scratched their heads as we began to make patches out of things from the river. Ezio began to laugh again when I dumped a bucket of plaster on Conner's head and watched him chase me around the ground dripping the gray goop everywhere.

It was strange being back here. It was as if something clicked in all of us. Masyaf was a symbol of everything the assassins once were. We protected the people from the corrupt, the wicked. We had fallen so far and now, eight of us were ready to take on the world. It was insane odds, but we had nothing to lose.

Kate was true to her word and the information from her sister was a great asset. The information was dated, but it showed the location of all their bases in Europe and Asia. Altair, Conner, and Ezio spent hours looking over maps and the like, marking their location. They thought out and devised plots on how to get rid of their holds on the countries around us.

I carried in some food and sat it on the table between them. "I think you guys need a break." I looked at them.

"We are in the middle of a planning session. This is not a good time." Altair went to move the tray, but I grabbed his arm. He started to glare at me.

"And I said you need to eat. You three have been hiding in here for hours, figuring and refiguring plans. I haven't even heard you come out to use the bathroom." I glared back. "What are you doing, pissing out the window?" All three of them looked away from me and found interesting places on the floor and walls. "Now that's just gross."

"Look, we need to figure out something soon. We have been hiding here for six months. In that time, we have lost so much ground it isn't funny." Conner turned his hazel eyes on me.

I sighed and shook my head. "And all of us understand that, but locking yourselves in this room for sometimes days on end is not getting you anywhere except lack of sleep and irritated at each other."

Ezio pushed off the wall. "I am glad that you care, 'lanna, but they are ahead of us in planning, manpower and well, everything. We are getting our asses kicked and we don't even know from what angle."

He was right. Since our self-afflicted exile, four teams in six months had been lost or captured; Abstergo had opened new facilities in Russia, and in China. Shaun was feeding us information when he could, but with the Templars watching everything, it was getting harder.

"What if we were to strike out at one of their smaller compounds? We have very little guns, and what we do have we have little ammo for. We could use that to restock and resupply ourselves. Also, get some more Intel on them." I crossed my arms over my chest.

Pushing the tray aside, the Italian looked down at the map. "You know guys, she has a good idea. There is a compound not far from Damascus. It's not big and would be a good point to start at." He placed his finger on the dot they had created.

Altair was next to him in second, grabbing another map. This one was of the compound. "They may have some of the things we need, and a larger vehicle is one of them. The SUV we brought will get the four of us there."

My brow rose. "The four? Don't you mean five?"

He shook his head. "You are not coming."

I slammed my hands on the table hard enough to rattle the contents that sat on it. Conner and Ezio took a step back, but Altair held his ground. "Oh like hell you are leaving me behind. I can best all of you here with a blade. I am the smallest and the quickest. You cannot do this to me, Altair." I would not be left out again. I was tired of being treated as if I was nothing more than a helpless woman who had to rely on the men around me to defend my honor.

"And you are not ready for combat." He met my glare. "You have been out of the game for a while now."

"And you are still an ass. I am going whether you like it or not. I am part of this team. I am an assassin." I growled and stalked towards him. "I will not be bullied by you, or anyone else."

We went toe to toe with each other. Defiant gray met stubborn amber. Neither one of us would back down and Conner knew that. He cleared his throat. "I think she should go with us." Altair turned his gaze in him. "Hear me out before you think of rearranging my face. You have been placing her on a pedestal for months now. The last raid we went on, you knocked her out and bound her before we left." I didn't talk to him for three days. "Now, I think she has a right to go. Technically she is the oldest of us all. Has you beat by, what? A hundred and fifty years if I remember right."

I smirked and inclined my head to my brother. "Thank you Conner. At least one of you is on my side." I turned my attention to Ezio. "I guess we are taking a vote. What do you think? Should I stay or should I go?"

"If you want my honest opinion, I think it would be a help if you went." He spoke up and locked eyes with the Arab. "You need to quit treating her like an invalid."

My smile brightened. "I love you, little brother."

"And I you, Alanna." He grinned. "Should we include Desmond in this?"

"Include me in what?" He walked in the room, holding a bottle of water and the remains of his sandwich, which he popped in his mouth.

I turned and walked over to him. "Altair does not want me to go with them on a raid. Ezio and Conner think it's a good idea. I think it's a good idea. What are your thoughts?"

He swallowed and took a swig from his bottle. "I know I am going to regret this later. This is a fight no one is going to win, but I think it's time she got back in the game, Altair."

I wrapped my arms around the young man's neck. "Thank you for understanding, Des."

He hugged me back. "Any time."

The vein on Altair's forehead looked like it was going to burst. "This is insane! I cannot believe you three would side with her crazy idea."

"Altair, it's not insane. Since we came here, she has had more memories return than all the time she spent at the ranch. She is ready, rather you want to admit it or not." Ezio shook his head and grabbed one of the sandwiches I had brought in for them. "Quit thinking you know what is best." With that, he strolled out of the room, munching on the sandwich.

I went to walk out of the room, but he grabbed my arm. "You and I need to have a chat. Like right now."

I pulled my arm away and stood my ground. "You can tell me what you want right here."

"Fine, we do this the hard way." And before I knew it, I was over his shoulder and he was marching down the hall.

"Put me down!" I yelled at his back, and all I earned was a bounce on his shoulder that about made me sick. "Damn you."

Walking into the room that we had taken as a bedroom, he kicked the door shut, and then deposited me unceremoniously onto the bed. I glared up at him. He just glared back. "I am beginning to understand why we fought so much."

"Because you can be a stubborn, bossy, know-it-all?" I stood and smoothed down my shirt.

"No, because you love to run headlong into danger and not think about until after you are neck deep in trouble." He took a deep breath and looked at me. "Why in the hell do you want to do this so bad? Why do you want to get back into this fight?"

"Because this is who we are. This is why we are here. Besides, I am tired of sitting here, twiddling my thumbs while you guys run off and play the heroes. I am just as good as you guys are. I know what I am doing." I walked over to him. "I know you don't like it, but it is something that you are going to have to accept. The assassin in me is coming back. I am ready for this."

Turning his head, he just shook it. "I know, but I liked being your protector."

So that was what he was worried about? That I wouldn't need him anymore now that I was getting back in the swing of everything? I laughed lightly. "You should have no fears on that, Altair. I will always need you to watch my back. I am headstrong, remember?"

He snorted. "How could I forget? You let me know that on a daily basis."

That caused me to wrap my arms around his waist and rested my cheek against his chest. "I know. Now, let's go and get this finished planned out."

**Ezio**

We came back a little worse for wear. I had been shot through my thigh. Desmond was sporting a few scrapes and bruises, the same with Conner, and Alanna. Altair had been stabbed in the soft flesh of his side, but our mission had been a success. The base was destroyed and we had enough supplies for more raids and two armored HUMVEEs.

I sat on my bed and rewrapped the bandage on my leg. I frowned when I saw how little it had healed in the few hours since it happened. To stop the bleeding, I carefully slipped two stitches in the entrance wound and the exit required three.

There was a knock at my door. Grabbing a pair of sweats, I threw them on over the bandage and opened it. Altair stood there, pale as hell and swaying on his feet. I grabbed him before he pitched forward. "I'm not healing." He whispered.

I drug him into the room and onto the bed. His face contorted in pain as I laid him down. Pulling up the shirt, I cringed at the gauze that was tapped to his side. It was bright crimson. "Shit!" I grabbed the first aid kit and I pulled the gauze off, and looked at the wound. It was a clean cut, but I had to clean it out. "I need to clean this out. It's going to hurt."

He looked up at me, sweat beading on my forehead. "I can handle it. Go for it."

Pulling out the alcohol, I doused the wound and listened to him hiss. Wiping it clean, I threaded the needle with the stitching thread. Handing him a pillow, I frowned. "You might want to bite down on this. I have nothing for the pain."

All he did was nod and clamped down on the pillow. I set out on my job, and watched as his body had gone slack after four stitches. I still had at least six more. Quickly finishing, I inspected my work, cleaned up the remaining blood, and covered the wound with fresh gauze. What the hell was going on?

"Altair." I shook him. He moved slightly. "Altair, you need to wake you."

His eyes opened and he looked at me. "You already done?"

I nodded. "We need to tell the others."

"No. They are healing normally. Alanna's cuts are almost healed, as are Desmond's. I haven't seen Conner. I think it's just us." He stayed on his side but twisted his head to look at me.

"Why us though?" I asked, and sat in the chair. My leg throbbed, and I rubbed the muscles around the wound.

I head him hiss as he tried to move, but decided laying there was better. "I don't know. Maybe a fluke? It's not like we can just ask someone about this."

Another knock on the door. I looked over at Altair. "What do we tell them?" I whispered.

"We are planning."

I nodded and opened the door. Kate stood there and smiled at me. "Rebecca asked me to come get you and Altair. Something has come up. Have you seen Altair?"

I cleared my throat. "Yeah, he's in here. We were planning."

"Well, come downstairs in a few minutes." She turned on her heels and walked away.

I shut the door and watched him try to sit up and nearly cried out in pain. I grabbed him and helped. "They are going to find out, Altair. You cannot move without wanting to scream, and my leg is killing me."

He panted. "We have to get down there. I have had worse."

"Yeah, when you were mortal. That was several hundred years ago." I sat next to him on the bed. "We need to be careful."

He shook his head. "Help me up. I will be fine when I get on my feet."

I knew he wouldn't, but I did it anyway. He swayed but stayed upright, until he tried to walk. I caught him before he hit the floor. "We need to tell them."

All he could do was nod and wrap his arm around my neck. "I think I need help."

So, I helped him to the meeting room. I heard talking as we approached the door. "The raid has them on edge. Shaun told me they have put extra guards at their bases near here." Rebecca.

"We can handle them. It's not like they can kill us." Desmond. The kid was partly right now.

That was when I walked in with Altair. We probably looked like shit. "You are partly right. They can't kill you, but I believe they can kill us now."

"Altair!" Alanna rushed over and helped him to a chair. "Oh god!" She lifted his shirt. "You're…You're not healing." Her hands flew over her mouth.

He tried to smile at her, but failed. I knew he was in a lot of pain. "I'll be fine. I just need some rest."

The others looked at each other. Conner brought a chair over to me. "Sit down."

I gratefully took it and rubbed my leg again. I hadn't felt pain like this in ages. I breathed in and out, trying to control the throbbing. Desmond stood and looked from Altair to me. "What happened?"

"Don't know. We are just not healing." Altair gritted his teeth.

Alanna smoothed his hair back. "We need to get you to bed." She looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"Alanna, I'm fine, or I will be." He took her hand. "I'm not going to die on you from a little stab wound. I've had worse."

"Des, Conner? Will you please take Altair back to his room?" I asked. There was no way I was going to be able to climb those stairs once more with him. I about lost it when we came down.

The two guys nodded and Altair, for once, did not complain. Alanna followed behind them. Kate walked over and handed me a bottle of water and some pain pills. "It's not much, but it might take the edge off."

I graciously accepted them. I had not had to take something for pain in hundreds of years. This was a new territory for me. Dawson paced the room. "Ezio, do you have any idea what would cause this? Why you and Altair are the only ones affected?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. This has never happened before. We have always healed. Now, there was a time that we healed a bit slower, but it went back to the way it had always been." I pushed my hair out of my face. I had not cut it since Jenna's death six months ago. "None of us know how the immortality thing actually works."

"What if we were to go back to the Vatican? Back into Minerva's temple? Do you think she might give some answers?" Rebecca looked over at me.

"That was a recording. She was never there. I don't even know if there are answers to the questions we seek." Sighing, I hung my head. "We may have to come to grips with the fact that we have been released. We will begin to age, and then die." The thought now scared the hell out of me. Six months ago, I would have gladly given it all up, but now, it was the only way I had to avenge my wife's death.

Desmond and Conner walked back a moment later. Conner leaned against the wall. "He passed out before we even made it upstairs. He's in a bad way." The Native American shook his head.

"We can't lose either one of you." Desmond turned to me. "Think the Apple might give us some answers?"

That was not something I was willing to try. "It might, or it might decide to finish us off completely. I am not willing to take the risk."

"I will then. We have to find out what is going on." The boy paced the length of the room. "If it kills me, it would be no big loss."

I fixed him with a look. "And that would leave Conner and Alanna to take care of the Templars. Alanna is going to be a wreck because of this. She is going to be watching Altair like a hawk now. And it also means her and the two of you could be next. We may have just run out of time."

The room fell into silence. They took in my words. Kate spoke first. "So, our last line of defense may have fallen before we had a shot?" She played with the chain on her neck.

"I hate to say it, but it may have come to that. The Templars may have won." I hung my head. They may have won indeed, and with that, I felt my spirits sink.

"Well we need to figure out what is going on with you guys." Conner shook his head, and walked around the room. "Why is it only affecting you two and not us?"

"Maybe because they are the oldest out of the line?" Desmond shrugged.

Rebecca stepped forward. "No, if that was the case, then Alanna would be affected as well. As I could tell, she is not."

I sat back in the chair and ground my teeth. "I have no clue what is going on, and if I did, I would fix it. I am the one with a hole through my leg and Altair is upstairs with a wound in his side that may kill him." I glared at everyone in the room. "Does anyone have any useful ideas as to what may have happened?"

"Ezio, you need to calm down. We will figure this out for you." Kate stepped over to where I was sitting, and placed her hand on my shoulder. "Why don't you go and try to get some rest? We will brainstorm and figure something out."

I was beginning to like this woman. She was cool under pressure and always tried to keep the peace. "I think I will try that. Maybe this is all a bad dream and when I wake up I will be on a tropical island sipping a highly alcoholic drink."

She laughed. "That sounds like a wonderful idea. Would you like help up?" She held out her hand, and I took it willingly.

Pulling me to my feet, I waved off Desmond, who had walked over and was about to help me upstairs. "I think I can manage. If you hear a lot of cursing and someone falling down the stairs, you know I did not make it. Then you can come, pick my body up off the floor and get me to a bed." At least I still had a slight sense of humor.

He nodded with a smile on his face. "I think I can handle that."


	23. Chapter 23

I sat on the edge of the air mattress Altair now occupied. I sighed and handed him a bottle of water. "We have to do a food run soon." I told him.

"You are not going." He glared at me and winced when he moved too much.

"I have to." I sighed and stood. "The only ones unaffected by this is myself, Conner, and Desmond. You are not healing, and neither is Ezio." I looked out the small window and leaned my elbows on the ledge. "What happened?"

"I don't know. I have told you that." He growled and I turned my head to look at him. "You guys are most likely next. What was to happen if they ambush you while you are on a food run and you guys get into a firefight? You have a chance of dying."

Hanging my head, I knew where he was going. "It has to be done, Altair. I am not afraid anymore. If I die, then I had a good run."

"Oh like hell." He sat up fast, and cried out in pain.

I was at his side in a flash, gently pushing him back onto the pillows. "Stop it alright? I am not going to see you hurt yourself to stop me. Please believe in me and know that I can do this without being hurt." I kept my hand on his chest, and his hand came up to cover mine. "It's just a run to the market."

"Alanna, I'm just scared, alright?" He squeezed my hand. "I don't want to lose you, and my biggest fear is you leave here, you will be shot and this is the last time I will see you alive. I will have to bury you again."

I knew his fears, as they were mine as well. I was worried that his wound would get infected and I would lose him that way. It had been three days since it happened, and he had healed very little. I was not healing at all as well. I covered the bruises with makeup and the scrapes with long sleeve shirts. Poor lighting in the place helped hide my sin.

"Altair, please, let me do this. I know you are afraid and as am I, but we cannot let people starve because of that. Besides, I am the only one that speaks fluent Arabic. Desmond's passable, but not if he gets frustrated, and you know that. Conner does not know any of it." I smiled gently at him and held his hand. "I will be quick as the wind."

He met my eyes, sighed and closed his. "Very well, but please come back."

"I will." I kissed him softly and walked from the room.

Conner was standing in the hall as I walked out. He fell into step with me as I walked down the hall. "You didn't tell him, did you?"

I looked down at my hand, and shook my head. "He doesn't need to know right now. It will make him worry more. Besides, when we figure this out, we will be fine."

"Alanna, you need to see if the Apple has any answers." He grabbed my shoulder and stopped me halfway down the steps.

I shook his hand off. "And it will not work that way for me. Yeah, it showed me when I became an assassin, but that is the only time it has ever worked for me. Let's talk about this later, alright? We need to make a food run." I started back down the stairs, but he got in front of me.

"You cannot go at this if you are mortal. That is too dangerous." He glared at me.

I glared at him in return. "I did this nearly nine hundred years ago as a mortal. I did this for seven years not knowing I was immortal. Dawson, Rebecca, Shaun, and Kate do this as mortals. They take the risk every day when they step out of this fortress. If they can do it, so can I."

Conner shook his head. "But you have not had to worry about dying in eight hundred years. You want to take the risk now?"

I stood straight and held my head high. "Yes I do. I cannot hide in these walls until old age takes me. I will do what I can, when I can, even if that means risking my life. I will not hide behind my mortality. Now, either help me by guarding me, or get out of my way."

"You are insane, but I will stay with you. Just to make sure your ass stays alive to come back here." He sighed and moved out of the way.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Walking through the small market, I watched all the merchants peddle their wares and it made me smile. I had not been to market since we arrived and it brought back many good memories of my mother. I would go to market with her when I was younger. The smells were nearly the same, and the yelling was all the same.

"_Mama!" I giggled and smiled as she poked my nose. _

"_Come along, my darling. We must get dinner for the night. Your father will be home soon." Catherine covered her chestnut hair with a dark blue cloth. She held out her hand and I took it with my smaller one. _

"_Mama, may I get a treat if I am good?" I followed her out of the house, and down the dusty street. The sun was low in the sky telling it was early morning. Daddy had been working in the night. I missed him tucking me in when it was bedtime. _

"_Of course, my darling." She turned down an alley that emptied into the market. _

_I took my hand from hers and skipped ahead. It was a cool day in Acre and everyone was out enjoying the breezes from the port. Once we reached the market, my eyes lit up and my smile got larger. I loved the market and everyone in it. _

"_Fresh fish! Caught this morning!" One merchant called from his stand. Another called out with his fresh baked bread and other goods. _

"_What would you like tonight, Alanna?" My mother asked as she held the basket out in front of her. _

_I loved choosing dinner and helping to make it. It was a treat. I hopped up and down and told her, causing her to laugh. I could listen to her laugh all day. _

_We gathered our ingredients and headed back home. Mama's face was already starting to get pink from the morning sun. I was tan like Papa so I could stay out longer. Her skin was as pale as the snow I once saw when they took me to see the city of Jerusalem. _

_Once we got home, I helped pull things from the basket. "Mama, why is your skin different from mine and Papa's?" I asked._

"_I am not from the desert as you and your father are, my darling. I am from a place where if it is not snowing, it is raining. Very bleak and cold. I did not like it there and so I set off for here, and met your father."_

"_Can I go there someday? To see your home?" I looked at her, eyes wide with wonder. _

_Her gray eyes smiled at me. "One day when you are older, Alanna, but until then you are stuck here with me."_

_I smiled back. "I like to be with you, Mama."_

I smiled at the memories. It was nice to remember my mother that way and not when she passed. I often thought of their graves and if they were still there. It had been over nine hundred and fifty years since their deaths. I knew their bodies would have turned to dust, and I did not think their headstones had fared well, if at all.

With the basket under my arm, I walked from stall to stall, looking at their wares. I was only getting enough food for a few days. Conner looked at the fruit while Desmond stayed glued to my side. "You know you can go look at things right?" I smiled at him.

He nodded, but kept looking around for someone that was going to jump from the shadows. "I don't like being here, Alanna. I feel like we are being watched."

"Is that from you, or memories of Altair?" I asked. He had come clean that he was having visions again. It started when we got back from that mission that nearly killed Altair and wounded Ezio.

He shook his head like he was trying to clear the cobwebs from his mind. "I don't know. I mean, there are times I feel it's me, and then I see things, hear things that are not there. I thought the Bleeding Effect had been stopped."

I looped my arm into his, and walked with him. "It was the immortality. When it stopped your aging, it stopped that as well. Kind of froze you in time. Now that it started back up, I think that started up as well. I'm sorry Des. I wish I had the answers for you."

He looked down at me, and sighed. "I know. I am hiding it the best I can, but if the nightmares come back, everyone is going to know."

"I know. I wish I knew what was going on, but this is new ground for all of us." I held on to him. I was scared as well. We could lose this war and everyone we know because of the loss of the one thing none of us wanted in the first place.

We walked in silence and collected our goods. Conner walked behind us, keeping an eye out for anything that could go wrong. If we were becoming mortal, then that meant so was he, and did not want to admit it. I did not want to admit it.

"Al, you driving back?" He held out the keys as we loaded our purchases in the SUV.

I snatched the keys with a smile. "Sure, but we are making a pit stop. I want to see if something is still there."

Both guys raised an eyebrow. I just rolled my eyes and shut the back door. Getting in, I fired it up and drove to the oldest section of town. The homes had not changed much and that made it easy for me to get my bearings. I turned down one narrow road and I stopped outside a small church.

"What are we doing here?" Conner asked as he looked out his window.

"I have to see a few people really quick. You two can come if you would like, or you can wait here. It does not matter. They will not mind." I got out of the car and began to walk to the back of the house of God. My mother was a Christian, and my father was a Muslim. I remember there was an argument on where he should be buried and my mother chose here. Our house had not been far from here, and she could visit him when she liked. That was until she got sick a few months after he died.

Conner and Desmond fell in behind me and followed into the old section of the cemetery. I did not need stones to know where they were. It is something you never forget. I fell to my knees in front of the two piles of stones. That was all that was left of their markers. Bowing my head, I said a silent prayer for them.

"Who are they?" Desmond asked.

I turned my head and looked at him. "To my right is my mother, Catherine Dowd, and the left is my father, Daveed Dowd." I looked back at their graves and then to the clear blue sky. "I have not been here in many years."

They stood there silently behind me as I knelt in the dirt. I smiled at the memories I could remember of them. My father's smile, my mother's kind voice. I could almost hear her voice in my head. It was the last time we came here together. She brushed the sand from Papa's stone, bend down and laid a kiss on the top.

I shook my head, kissed my hands, and laid them on the tops of the graves. Maybe I would see them again one day when my time came. Standing, I dusted myself off. "Alright, let's go." And headed for the car.

**Altair**

I awoke to tightness in my side where the stitches were. It did not hurt as bad as it did earlier that day. Slowly sitting up, I raised my shirt to see that skin had begun to grow over the stitches Ezio had carefully placed in my side. My eyes widened in amazement at what I was seeing. I was healing once again.

I was about to get up when my door opened and Ezio walked in. "Are you healing as well?" He asked.

I nodded and noticed that he was not limping as he been a few hours previous. "Are you?" I knew the answer. He would ask if he was not.

"It is completely healed. Well, for the most part. I took a nap and when I woke up, skin had grown over the stitches." He took a seat on the air mattress and showed me his leg. "I thought of you when I saw it."

I showed him my side. "Mine was a bit worse than yours, but it is healing as well." I felt the stitches pull again. "You think you can dig these things out now?"

Nodding, he pulled a small pair of scissors from his pocket. "Look, I came prepared."

I laid on my good side and let Dr. Auditore at the stitches. He swiftly removed them, and I felt relief from the pulling. "So, do you know what just happened?" I asked as I stood up straight for the first time in three days. I was still stiff, but that would go away in time.

He shook his dark head. "I don't know. I mean, we were immortal, then we went on that supply run, got shot and stabbed, then we were mortal. It doesn't make any sense at all."

Moving around, I was enjoying the freedom of movement that I had not had in a few days. "If we are back to normal, do you think the others are as well?"

Standing, Ezio shrugged. "Maybe, unless their immortality is gone and we are back to normal."

That thought was not one that sat well with me. I did not want to be everlasting and not Alanna. "I hope you are not right. That thought is not something I want to even think about."

I heard Alanna's laughter coming from the hallway and I walked out to greet her with Ezio at my heels. She was smiling at Kate and laughed at something the woman had said. Then she saw me, and a frown replaced the smile. "What are you doing walking around? You are going to tear out your stitches, Altair."

She marched over to me, and I raised my shirt to show her. "I healed."

Lightly running her fingers down the pink line, I laughed a bit. I was a bit ticklish there. "How is that possible?" She looked up at me with amazement on her face. Kate stopped at her side. "I don't understand."

"Neither of us does as well, but we have gone back to normal. Maybe it was a fluke?" Ezio looked at all of us. "Either way we should not look a gift horse in the mouth."

"I will agree with you, Ezio. Now, the real question is, will you five stay like this, or go back?" Kate raised the question.

The three of us looked at each other for an answer. "I cannot answer that one, Kate. I guess we will just have to take it one day at a time." I spoke honestly. We could stay immortal or we could become mortal once more. Either way, we had to figure out why this was happening now.

Alanna spoke up. "Do you think it might have something to do with this place? I mean, this was where it all began for the two of us. Well really, all of us."

I shook my head. "We were slain almost a hundred miles from here. We may have trained here, but the Apple created us elsewhere."

"But we were brought back here, with the Apple mind you, to be laid to rest. Maybe it did something that day." She countered.

I was still not buying it. I did not think Masyaf had anything to do with the fluxuation in our immortality. "That may be, but if it was this place, why would it take six months to affect us? Desmond fell off the jump tower a few days after we arrived and healed in hours like normal. Conner and myself got cut a month after we came from practicing with blades and we healed. You cut your arm when we were clearing out some debris and you were fine."

Sighing, she nodded and accepted the fact that I was right. Ezio stepped in. "If it wasn't Masyaf, then what the hell is causing this?"

"Could it be the Apple itself?" Kate asked.

I was about to counter that question, but I could not. It was a likely idea and the best one so far. "It could be. I mean, we have never had the Apple with us for this long. A few days to a few weeks. Now when we were mortal I had it for years. Alanna was around it then too."

She shook her head. "Not really. I did not like the thing then, and still have the same feelings for it now. Just a bit stronger." She smirked at me. "But, back to the problem at hand. What the hell is going on?"

None of us had a good answer to that. "I think it is time for another round table talk with everyone, and I mean everyone." Ezio just shook his head.

**So, they are back to normal. Sort of. The question about the immortality will be answered in the chapters to come. Sorry about the delay on the chapter. I lost my muse for a little bit. Now, I think I have it back thanks to a few new songs I got for my birthday. I got an iTunes card and got new music. Yea! Hope you liked it. This was really just a filler chapter.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Conner**

Everyone gathered in the courtyard. I paced the grounds and watched them. We were all back to normal, for the most part. The five of us that were affected watched the mortals. It had shaken us all to the core. Desmond had a haunted look in his eyes. Ezio kept looking around like he was waiting for the ghosts of this place to jump out and attack. Altair stood like a sentinel next to Alanna, who had not smiled since earlier in the day.

Rebecca looked around at everyone. "So, what do we know?"

I stopped my pacing. "Well, we were immortal, then we weren't and now we are. How long it's going to stay like that, none of us can come up with an answer."

"Well, what caused it?" Dawson asked as he watched from his place on a low wall.

We looked at each other, and shrugged. "None of us know. This has never happened before." Ezio spoke up.

Kate sat next to Dawson and just watched us. "Does have anyone have any ideas?"

The group looked to each other, but no one opened their mouths. It had stumped us and I had to admit, I was confused. Alanna wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed her arms. "Is this going to happen again? I think that is what all of us have running through our heads."

"That is a good question. Alanna, Altair, you have been around the longest. Has this ever happened in the past?" Rebecca asked, turning her eyes to the two ancients.

They looked at each other and shook their heads. "No, never." Altair answered. "I mean, there have been times that we have not healed as fast as we normally do, but that was because we took a lot of wounds in a short time. I am guessing that it over taxed us."

"So there are limits to the amount of wounds you can take?" Kate stood and popped her back.

I answered that one. "Yeah, there is, but what happened with us doesn't even come close to that limit. When I found out I was immortal, I took a half dozen musket shots damn near point blank in the chest. Granted I didn't wake up for three days, but I survived."

Desmond shivered and pulled his jacket around him tighter. "Alanna and I took damn near fifty bullets between us ten years ago, and we are still here to tell the tale."

"I blew myself up with a small explosive in the 1920's." Ezio shrugged.

"Survived a plane crash." Altair held up his hand.

"A blast that leveled an entire complex." Alanna spoke softly.

That shut everyone up. We all knew what happened. Them better than me. I had heard about it when I showed up at the ranch. No one would look at her, and she did not seem fazed by it. It was the same song and dance. Everyone tried to avoid that subject, but she knew it and understood. She did not talk about what she remembered.

Clearing my throat, all eyes came back to me. "We have established that we can take some damage and come back, but that does not help us right now."

"Conner's right. It is not helping to dig up the past." Altair laid a hand on Alanna's shoulder and stepped away. "This is getting us nowhere fast."

"So, what do you propose?" Rebecca looked up at him.

"We continue to do what we had planned. It has to be done, and there is nothing we can do about our problem right now until it happens again." He lowered his head and shook it slowly. "We have to deal with Abstergo right now."

Sighing, I moved closer. "I am with Altair on this one. We have to take care of this threat now, and worry about it later."

Kate spoke up. "And if you were to go back to being mortal in the middle of a fight?"

"Then we die. Simple as that." Ezio clinched his hands into fists and then relaxed them at his side.

The older woman's eyes widened. "You would just throw your life away just like that?"

"Kate," I stepped up to her, "he has been alive double what I have. Alanna and Altair have been alive nearly a millennium. Sorry Des, you have only been alive, what, 35 years?" He nodded. "We would not be throwing our lives away. I would call it a final eternal rest."

The others agreed with me. We had been alive for so long, and I was tired. Tired of living the same life every year. Fighting to keep myself free. I could tell Ezio felt the same, as did Altair. Alanna did not remember half her life, so some of this was new to her again, but I know if something happened to her other half, she would be right behind him.

I think Kate finally understood. "So, what are your plans?"

"I have my own agenda." The Italian began to pace. "I am going after the bastards responsible for Jenna's death."

We had known for a long time he had planned on splitting from the pack to pursue that mission, and we had a backup plan to keep an eye on him. Desmond walked over to him. "Can I tag along? I own them as well. I own them for Tom."

Ezio nodded and understood. Hell, we all understood. Their partners died while in their care, and they lived. I watched them and everything was falling the way we wanted it to. Altair had worked with Ezio for long enough to know what he was going to plan and set Desmond with him.

"If you two need any help, I am good a tracking people. Just give me a call." I smiled at them, and Ezio smiled back.

"I may take you up on that, but first, I think we need a change of venue. How about one more mission as a five part team?"

**Desmond**

The five of us looked down on the Auditore palazzo. Abstergo was watching it hard core, just like the last time Ezio had been hunted by the Templars. I looked over that the man in question. "Now, why are we taking this back?"

"Well, it has running water, heat, and somewhere to cook food. Not fire pits and you can walk down the street to get food, not have to drive to another city." He answered, not taking his eyes off the men at the front gate.

"You know we cannot do this in broad daylight." Alanna spoke up, not taking her eyes off the front door.

"I know. We are just scoping the place out." Ezio watched the men change shifts, as did the rest of us.

We sat up on the roof all day, getting the information we needed to take back the palazzo. They changed shifts every four hours. Conner and Altair followed the ones that left back to a small building Abstergo owned that they were using as a barracks.

From the count, there were fifteen in the building at any given time and ten guarding the palazzo. It was not a large number to keep tabs on, but it was enough to keep us busy.

We sat at a small café a few blocks from our target area. I sipped on my pop along with Conner, while the others drank coffee. "So, what is the plan?" I asked.

"That is a good question. We are going to do this from two fronts though." Ezio popped a piece of pastry into his mouth. "Any ideas?"

Altair sat his cup down, grabbed a napkin, and began to sketch on the back of it with the pen he took from Alanna's purse. "There is only a guard of ten at the palazzo. One of us could easily take it back, but once the alarm was raised, fifteen more men would be on the way."

Conner looked at what he was doing. "So, they are going to have to be hit at the same. Is that what you are getting at?"

The Arab nodded and slid the sketch to the middle of the table. "It's not the best, but it will do."

It was a sketch of the palazzo and the main floor of the barracks. I was impressed. I was still not used to the whole remembering things the first time. I guess I was wired differently. I could barely remember simple things sometimes. I guess it came with age. "So, what is the game plan?" I asked as I ate the last of my muffin.

Ezio must have been on the same wavelength. "Two and three?" He asked and the older man nodded. "Who do you want?"

"I will take Desmond and Conner. We will hit the barracks. You and Alanna will take the palazzo." He looked at each of us.

That got a brow from the rest of us. Normally he chose Alanna for his team. "Conner and me?" I looked at him.

"The palazzo needs stealth and speed. Out of the five of us, Ezio and Alanna are the best. Ezio knows the place inside and out. Better than the men that occupy it now. Alanna can get in and out before anyone knows she was there. The barracks require stealth as well, but more upfront brute strength. That is where we excel." Altair shook his head and took another drink of his coffee, then made a face. "Too much creamer."

Alanna chuckled, grabbed the cup and pushed hers in front of him." Because you have mine. I switched them on you to see if you would notice. You didn't."

I laughed at her. "Nice one."

She smiled. "None of you saw it. Wow, you guys were so focused on what he was doing that you didn't pay attention to me."

Altair shot her a look, took his real cup back and took a drink. "Much better. Don't mess with my coffee, woman." I could see the edge of his lip pull up in a slight smile.

Sticking her tongue out at him, and faster than I had ever seen his hand move, he grabbed it. Her eyes widened and went cross-eyed as she looked down at him. Conner, Ezio and I laughed as she sat there looking at him. "You had better behave, woman, and keep that tongue in your head." He chuckled, and released her.

"Ha ha, Al." Conner grabbed his pop and took a drink. "You've been told"

"Shut up." But she smiled at him and punched Altair in the arm. "And that was for grabbing my tongue, bastard."

He smirked. "I know who my father is, sweetheart."

I cleared my throat. I really had to get this back on track. "Okay, I can't believe I am going to be the voice of reason, but we need to get back on track."

"Yeah, that's normally Ezio's job." Conner snickered, and grabbed for the Italian's pastry, only to have a fork poked into his hand.

"Touch my food, and I will skin you right now." He held the fork, tongs out towards the Mohawk. "Keep it up, boy and you are going to lose that hand."

While he was distracted, Altair reached over and grabbed the plate and handed to Alanna. I laughed at them. Sometimes it was like being with a bunch of five year olds, but I would not trade it for anything. "I think we are all nuts."

"That is true." Ezio nodded with a smile on his face. "So, tonight?"

The rest of us nodded in sync. That was kind of weird, but it was just us.

**Alanna**

I was crouched on the roof next to Ezio, watching the shift change with Ezio. I could hear his blades flick in and out. He often did that when he was in deep thought, or he was gearing himself up for an intense fight. Reaching over, I laid a comforting hand on his bent knee. "You doing okay there?"

He nodded his dark head and it brushed his brow. Pushing it back, I heard him sigh. "Yeah, but I will do better when we get this over with. I cannot believe they would take over my home like this." I pulled my hand back, and let it hang between my bent knees.

"I can. They got all of this from my head. I feel it is my fault. All of this is my fault." Hanging my head, I looked down at my hands. It was my fault. If I had fought them harder, or died like I was supposed to do, this would never have happened. Jenna would be alive, he would be happy, and life would have kept on rolling. "If I had just died…"

I didn't get to finish that because his hand rested on my back and rubbed a bit. "I know you blame yourself for everything that has happened, but you can't, Alanna. We all know the dangers we put mortals in when we get too close. I knew that, Jenna knew that, and Tom knew that. Everyone at Masyaf knows that, but they stay to help us because they believe in us. Believe in what we can do."

Raising my eyes to him, I locked on to his. "But if they had never gotten ahold of me, they would not know the things they know now."

He nodded once. "This is true, but they would have figured things out eventually. You, above all, should know the dangers of being around mortals. You have been alive the longest. You have seen things that none of us will ever see. You lived through some of the bloodiest times in history."

"From what could remember, I hid myself away. I did not get involved." I told him. There were still things I could not remember. I had recovered many of my missing years, but the times from my rebirth to Monteriggioni that I could not recall. There were also other years I could not pin down as well, but I was working on it.

"We all have hidden ourselves away from the world at one time or another. When I finally came to grips with what I had become, I wanted nothing more than to bury my head in the sand and hope it was a bad dream that I would wake up from. It was the recalling of yours and Altair's story that made me keep going. If you could do it on your own for as long as you did, then I could as well. You went a hundred and fifty years caring for him while slept. That is a feat all on its own." He smiled gently, and rubbed my back a bit more. "Quit blaming yourself for the past. It happened and we are going to take care of the bastards responsible for all the shit that ever happened to us."

I nodded and gave him a small smile. "I am with you. Sorry for the small breakdown, Ezio."

"It's alright. You were there for me when I had few of them the last couple of months." He smiled back. Reverting his eyes back to the task at hand, he took his hand from my back. "I think it is time. The others should be in position. Are you ready for this?"

"Of course." I tested my blades and they slid in an out with no problems. "Let's get this done."

He led the way off the roof we were on and down the fire escape. Popping the sewer grate, I made a face from the smell. "We will not be in there long. The hatch to the wine cellar is right across the street."

"I am getting the first hot shower." I growled at him. I cannot believe that he was having me crawl through the sewers. This was so gross. The last time in was in the sewer that I could remember was in Rome and I was being led by Altair. We were tracking a few Templars that went underground. Ran into a few Followers of Romulus, and had to fight them. That was not fun at all. I think I washed my robes a dozen times before I could not smell the sewer any longer. I was going to burn these clothes for sure.

"Suck it up, Miss Priss and let's go." Ezio rolled his eyes and jumped into the hole.

"Asshole." I muttered and followed behind him.

When I hit the bottom, nasty water sprayed up around me from my touchdown and I about gagged. "See? It isn't so bad."

"This is coming from a man who used to use the old tunnels of Rome as a way to get around. I think it damaged your sense of smell." I covered my nose with the sleeve of my shirt. It was foul.

I heard his light chuckle. "Quit being such a woman."

Huffing, I followed him in the dim light. The bastard could see in the dark, I could not. I let my ears be my eyes, listening to his footfalls and following that.

True to his word, we were not in there long. He popped open the hatch and pulled himself up, then pulled me up as well. He looked at the wine racks and shook his head. "They have helped themselves I see."

"Take it out of their hides. Let's get this done with." I grabbed his sleeve and moved forward.

One guard was outside the door. Ezio slipped behind him, and planted a blade into the side of the man's neck, severing the jugular. The guard dropped and bled out onto the stone floor. I turned away from the scene. I was still not completely comfortable with the whole killing thing, but I knew it was something I was good at once time in my life. Hell, most of my life. All but twenty years of it, and well the seven I spent with Kate.

I felt Ezio grab my arm. Looking up at him, his face was blank. "Are you alright, Alanna?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I swallowed and nodded. "Just getting reacquainted with death again is all."

He nodded and walked forward. I followed behind him. I knew I was going to have to do this as well. I was not here to shadow him. I had to pull my own weight on this mission.

When we reached the main floor, he held up his hand signaling me to stop and I did. Then he held up to fingers. I breathed in, steadied myself and let it out. He looked back at me, and nodded that I was ready. Quiet as a church mouse, we slipped into the room, and pounced.

My blade sunk into the larger man's chest, finding his heart. His eyes widened when he realized what I had just done. I gave a twist and pushed him off. He was dead before he hit the marble of the kitchen floor. _Three down, seven more to go_, I thought to myself. I knelt down, said a small prayer, and closed his eyes. I was always told to respect the dead.

We found two more men on the second floor playing chess in one of the rooms. They were easy to dispatch and we placed their bodies in the bathroom across the hall. Five down.

The three in the sitting room was a bit harder. There was no easy way to get to them without giving ourselves away and so we came in from separate doorways. I struck from one way and Ezio came in from the other. The first two never got their guns out of the holsters before out blades found their soft flesh, but the third shot at us. I pulled my man in front of me and let his dead body take the bullet while my partner threw a knife at him, nailing the man in the gut.

Dropping my victim, I ran over and laid open the young man's throat. His hands grabbed at his neck and tried to keep the blood in his body in a feudal attempt to keep him alive, but it was not to happen. I watched as he fell to his knees and died at my feet.

Once I looked at what I had done, I felt the bile rise up in my throat, but I pushed it back down. I would not get sick here. Not yet, at least. There was still two more outside.

I think Ezio knew I was starting to have a hard time, because before I knew what was going on, he led me from the room. He took me to the formal dining room and sat me in a chair. Kneeling in front of me, he looked at my face. "You sit right here. I don't think you were ready for this."

I swallowed again. "I…I'm fine." But he knew I was lying.

"Lie to yourself. I know you are not fine." He stood, and headed for the doorway. "Stay here. I will get the last two outside."

I didn't move, or say a word. I don't think I could. He was right. I was not ready for this. The last mission, I was not up in my victims' faces. I didn't have to see the life leave their eyes as I felt their blood wash over my own skin. Just the thought caused my stomach to roll. The vomit would not stay down this time and I made a desperate run for the kitchen, relieving my stomach into the trash.

Sliding to the floor, tears poured from my eyes as I thought about what I had just done. The eyes of all my victims I could see in the back of my mind. I clasped my hands over my mouth and tried my damnest not to scream. Then I tasted it. The blood that I had on my hand, and my stomach rolled again. I threw up into the can once more.

And that was how Ezio found me, throwing up in a can, crying my eyes out.


	25. Chapter 25

**Altair**

I wiped my brow, and surveyed the room. There were far more bodies than what we counted earlier. "Well, that is the last of them."

"What the hell? I thought you and Ezio did a head count earlier?" Conner looked at me from his place on the floor, his back against the wall.

"We did. There were fifteen." I growled and paced.

"Well, maybe Abstergo threw them a guard party." The Mohawk chuckled. "That was hell, but worth it."

Desmond shook his head and collapsed into the chair. "There were only supposed to be, what, fifteen? I think I counted double than that." He slumped forward and rested his elbows on his legs.

I leaned against the wall, and sighed. "Thirty four to be exact, if you were wondering. I hope that Ezio and Alanna had an easier time than we did." Pulling the phone from my pocket, I hit speed dial two for Ezio and he answered after three rings.

"Are you done?" I asked as I looked over at the pile of bodies. I was coated in blood from head to toe and all I could think about was a hot shower.

'_Yeah, I just got Alanna in the shower. She had a slight meltdown._' I heard him sigh._ 'I am trying to clean up the mess before she gets out.'_

I was afraid this might happen. "How bad did she lose it?" I pushed off the wall, grabbed the can of gasoline and started to dump it on the bodies. The guys followed my lead and started to dump it all over the place. I knew we would not be able to cover up the killings, but at least this will delay them finding out what had happened.

'_Besides sitting in the kitchen alternating between puking her guts out and screaming, I think she did pretty well for her first time actually seeing her kills.'_

Cringing, I dropped my gas can and headed for the door. "Well, we are wrapping up here." Desmond pulled out a lighter from his pants pocket, and I nodded. Let the boy have the fun and set the place on fire. He grinned, knelt down and lit the trail of gas. It started fast and we walked out.

'_I have called the others. They will be arriving in a few days.'_

"Alright. See you soon." I hung up the phone and climbed in the car. Conner got in the passenger side, and Desmond hopped in the back.

"So, how much time do you think we have until they find out it was us?" Conner reclined the seat a bit and hit Desmond's legs. That got him a glare and punched in the arm.

"Get your damn seat off me." The youngest growled and hit it with his knee. "And I would give it a few days to a week."

Sitting the seat up, the second youngest smirked. "I will say the same, but you know them better, Altair. What do you think?"

Turning the corner, I looked for any of their cars, but saw none, then headed for the Auditore palazzo. "I say week at most. They are going to retaliate, but we will be long gone by then."

"And where do you plan to go?" I could feel Desmond's eyes on me as I drove through the streets of Florence.

I shrugged. "I don't know, but I think I am going to get Alanna far from all of this for a while. She kind of had a breakdown tonight."

Conner sat all the way up, hazel eyes looking at me as well. "She okay?" Alanna was like his sister. They were as close as two could get without being blood related.

"Ezio said she was in the shower when I called. I thought she was ready for this. She did well on the last mission we went on. Either that or she put up a good act." I spared a look at both of them.

The talking stopped until we pulled up in the rear of the building. Climbing out, Ezio greeted us at the back door. "I would advise not running into Alanna until you have showered. It just took me an hour to get the blood off the floor and rid of the bodies."

Raising a brow, I looked at him. "And where did you put them?"

"The sewer. The pipes are flushed out once a day and that will cause their bodies to be flushed out to the river. By the time they are found, they will not be recognizable." He smirked and headed in the house.

The floors gleamed from their cleaning and guns sat on the table nearby. "Rob them before you dumped them?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, we have been running short on ammo and hardware since we cannot get to our funds. Now that I have the palazzo back, I have most of my money at hand."

"You kept all your cash here, and they didn't find it?" Des shook his head.

"Nope. It is all there. Down to the diamond collection. They would have had to blast this place apart to find it, but it was right under their noses the whole time." Grinning, he pulled the towel off his shoulders and laid it on the counter. "Now, I think you three should go get in the shower."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

An hour later, after showering, I found Alanna in Claudia's old room, sitting in the window seat, legs pulled up to her chest, staring out the glass panes at the city lights. "Hey."

She turned her head and looked at me, face neutral. "Hey back." I walked over to her and took a seat at her feet. "Are you doing alright?"

Nodding her chocolate head, she looked back out the window. "I'm doing better, but not completely alright. That may take a little bit longer."

"I thought you were ready. If I had known this would have happened, I would have told you to stand watch for Conner and myself and sent Desmond with Ezio." I took her hand in mine. "I'm sorry, Alanna."

She sighed and hung her head. "I thought I was fine. I really did, but seeing their eyes after they were dead is what did it for me."

"You never have to do that again, if you so choose. I know you are not the same person you once were." She was kinder, but still had the same spark.

Looking at me, I saw the beginning of some tears. "I am going to have to do it again, Altair. I know I will. It is just going to take some time to come to grips with it again. I know how I used to be, and as much as I do not want to become her once again, I know it is what I must do."

Leaning forward, I wiped the stray tear away that ran down her cheek. "You do not have to become her again if you do not want to. I will be here to fight the battles that you cannot do yourself."

"I know, but you cannot protect me for eternity. I am going to have to kill again. That is what I am correct? I am a trained killer. An assassin. It is what I am, and what I will always be. There is no escape from it." Laying her forehead on her knees, I heard her sigh and rock her head back and forth.

I did not know the words to tell her that would make everything alright. She was right in that she would kill again, and that was what she once was. So, I just held her hand and let her know that I was here for her. To listen when she needed an ear, or a shoulder to lean on, I would be here for her.

A knock on the door caused me to look over. Ezio stood there holding a tray of mugs. "Thought you could use something to drink. The both of you."

I nodded and he walked in. Alanna looked at him and managed a small, half-hearted smile. "Thank you, Ezio, for dealing with me when I lost it." She met his eyes.

He sat the tray down and smiled at her. "We have all been there, Alanna. Don't worry about it. We are a family. A messed up, psychotic family with major issues, but still a family. We stick by each other no matter what we do." He fixed me with a look, and I knew what he was getting at. I was the one that normally needed bailed out, or picked up because I flipped out.

"Hey, I have not done that in a year, so don't look at me like that. Just because I managed to get drunk at a biker bar, and picked a fight with the biggest man there does not mean you get to hang it over my head for all eternity." I shot him a look, but he knew I was messing with him.

"It was not one man you tried to fight, it was six and you would have known better if you were not so intoxicated you could barely stand on your own two feet. It took Desmond and me to carry you out of there before they pounded you into the floor. I should have let them." He pulled over one of the chairs that were sitting around, and took a seat.

He handed me a mug and one to Alanna, which we gratefully took. She smiled and chuckled a bit. "This I must here. I cannot picture you drunk. Well, to the point that you were falling over. Picking the fights I can believe, but not to the point you could not stand."

Ezio laughed at that. "Oh sweetheart, you have seen him. It was pure entertainment!" That earned a real glare, but he brushed it off. "He was on a job for the bounty hunters, and as he does for all jobs, once it was done, he finds the nearest bar and has a drink. Well, I was in the area with Desmond and decided to join him.

"We normally have one or two, but this old fool just starts pounding them away like he was a dying from thirst. An hour and two bottles of Jim Beam later, Altair thinks he is Wolverine, and can kick anyone's ass that was nearby. Well, it happened to be a biker fellow from the local chapter of the Hell's Angels. Yeah, not the day for him to be drinking and in the bar we were at."

I hung my head in shame. The bad thing was I don't remember much after the first half of the second bottle. It had been years since I had actually drank myself until I was completely stupid. "Okay, I think we have heard enough." I went to stand, but Alanna grabbed my arm.

"I want to hear what happened next. I like hearing stories about you. You guys have lead such interesting lives, compared to what I have lived for the last seven years." She smiled and I could see life coming back into her gray eyes.

I sighed and sat back down. "Continue." I waved him to finish.

Alanna sat up, letting her feet rest in the floor, and watched Ezio with her complete attention. "Anyway, where was I?" He grinned. He knew exactly where he had left off. "Oh that's right. Mr. Drunkass here decided to pick a fight.

"Well, the men at the next table over had just ordered their first round and were laughing at something one of them said. Altair stood, well I should say stood long enough to pick up an empty beer bottle, wind up and cracked the biggest man there in the side of the head with the bottle. Then in German, started screaming insults about the man's mother as he grabbed the back of Desmond's chair to keep himself upright."

Alanna let out a shoulder shaking laugh. Her coffee spilled over the rim of her cup, but she paid it no mind. "Oh my!" She turned her eyes to me. "I can't believe you did that!"

I kept my face neutral, but inside I knew I was blushing. "Yeah, I have done a few stupid things in my life." I played it off, trying to sound indifferent, but thinking back on it, that was really not the smartest thing I have ever done. "Well, couldn't be as bad as the time Ezio here challenged Bartolomeo to a drinking contest. You lost miserably." I smirked at him, and watched him move around in his chair. Paybacks are a bitch.

"That is not fair! When did we make this about me?" He looked at me.

"When you brought up my drunken brawl." I rested my elbows on my knees. "Turnabout is fair play, my friend."

Alanna laughed at us, and look a drink from her mug. "Thank you guys. I am feeling better now."

We both smiled at her. "You are welcome. I aim to please." The Italian bowed his head. "Do you have any funny tales of your time with Kate?"

She sat her cup on the table next to her, and rubbed the back of her neck. "There is one. We went a wedding a few years after I came to live with her. A young man, maybe in his mid-twenties asked me to dance. Needless to say, I made a fool of myself. I can't dance, or well, I don't remember how. I fell on my backside." She chuckled nervously. "Do I know how to dance?"

"Yes, you did." I smiled at her. "I bet they did not make that big of a fuss."

"Not really. The man helped me up and showed me a few steps. After that I was okay." She shook her head, but the smile stayed on her face. "I will never forget that."

"Not as bad as ours, but still it is embarrassing." Ezio laughed. "Maybe before I take off, I will teach you how to dance again. You look like you would enjoy that."

She beamed brightly, stood and hugged him. "I would. Thank you Ezio."

He returned the hug. "You're welcome, 'lanna."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

The other three made it to Florence two days later. We had the palazzo stocked for them and extra cash out in case they needed something. Our plans were simple. Desmond and Ezio were heading back to the states to find out what they could about the accident. Alanna and I were heading to Greece to let her come to grips with all the changes. Conner was coming with us for bit, and then he said he was going to strike out on his own. The lone wolf, much like I was.

I had the bags in the kitchen and made sure we had everything. Ezio came walking in, bag slung over his shoulder. His once dark hair was an auburn color, compliments of Alanna and Kate. He was clean shaven, and dressed kind of like me. Black shirt and faded blue jeans. I smirked. "So, they are turning you into me."

"Actually, these are your clothes. Good thing we are the same size." He grinned and dropped the bag next to ours. "So, I guess this is it for a while."

Nodding, I walked over to him. "I guess so. Take care of yourself, Ezio." I held out my hand and he grasped it.

"You as well. Take care of her as well."

"Always. You get into a bind, you had better call. I don't a give a shit if you are a half a world away, I will come running as fast as I can." I released his hand and took a step back.

His grin stayed in place. "You know I will."

Someone cleared their throat and we turned to see Alanna, Conner and Desmond standing there. Des' hair was a dirty blond, and gelled into spikes. Conner's was cut similar to Ezio's. He was not thrilled with cutting his shoulder length tresses, but he knew it had to be done. Also about the blond streaked through it now.

Alanna had threatened to stab anyone that came near her with scissors. She said she was not cutting her waist length hair and I agreed with her. I hated her hair when it was to her shoulders. That was the old Alanna. She did dye it though. It took Kate and Rebecca both to dye her hair an auburn color like Ezio's. They also straightened it and gave her bangs.

Mine was easy. I always kept it short, so they spiked it the best they could, and gave me colored contacts to wear. Since my eyes were unusual to begin with, I now had green eyes. Alanna wore a pair as well. It was strange to see her with royal blue eyes instead of her soft gray. Ezio had a blue pair as well, but he was not wearing them.

"I guess this is goodbye." Alanna had her hands clasped in front of her, tears threatening to fall.

Ezio walked over to her and wrapped her in a hug. "I am going to miss you most of all, 'lanna. Thanks for everything."

Her arms wrapped around him, and held on. "Same here, Ezio. Be good, and try to stay out of trouble, will you?"

He stepped back from her, and nodded. "I will try."

She turned to Desmond. "You had better watch the others back. I don't want to lose you two anytime soon."

The younger man kissed her cheek and hugged her. "I will do my best, but don't fault me if he leads me into something we should not get into."

I heard her laugh. "I know, but try."

"I will, don't worry." He smiled and walked over to where Ezio stood.

She walked to my side and I wrapped my arm around her shoulder. "Call when you find out anything."

My partner for many years nodded and grabbed his bag. "Come on Des, our plane leaves in two hours."

"Later guys." He followed Ezio out the door and just like that they were gone.

I turned to Conner and Alanna. "So, have you said your goodbyes?"

They both nodded. We were leaving in the middle of the night to avoid any arguments from anyone. They had what they needed and could reach us in an emergency. I knew they would be fine.

Grabbing the bags, we walked out the door, locking it behind us and loaded the car. Then, just like the other two, we departed into the night. I knew this would be the last time we would see this place for quite some time.


	26. Chapter 26

**Desmond**

I followed Ezio through the streets of St. Petersburg, Russia. Pulling my coat around me tighter, I tried to shake the cold. It had been two years since we left the others in Masyaf. Altair and Alanna stayed in the Middle Eastern area. Conner became the lone wolf again and traveled between our two groups, helping us both.

We had finally found out what happened with the immortality incident. It was actually us as a group. We could not be together for long periods of time. A few days or weeks were fine, but months? It could not be done. The best way to put it was we sucked the life out of each other.

"Desmond, stay close." Ezio looked over his shoulder at me, a frown creasing his dark brow.

I caught up and walked next to him. "What are you planning, Ezio? You haven't told me."

Flipping the collar up on the fur lined coat he wore, his scowl deepened. "I found the man that fucked with the engine on Jenna's plane. He's in hiding here."

That's what it was. He was here for his revenge. "How did you find that out?"

"William had been looking into the crash. He found the name of a man that was there at the airport and he sent someone to talk to him. The man was dead when they got there, but sorting through his things, there was a list of names of people that worked for the company that was hired to do repairs on the Cessna for Jenna. That was the only thing she could not fix.

I have already done my homework and this guy, Howard Lawner, disappeared right after the incident. He left his job and went into hiding. It has taken two and a half years to find this man. I will get my answers and I will get them today." He growled and his fist clinched.

I saw the silver blade slide from his wrist, but it disappeared as fast as it appeared. "Ezio, you can't go into this half-cocked. If you do, you know what is going to happen." I grabbed his arm and stopped him in his tracks. I had to be his voice of reason. He needed to calm down.

He narrowed his eyes and glared at me. "I know what is at stake. I know it better than you think. I want this guy and I want his head on a platter."

I met his glare. I had been working with him for two years now, and I had seen what he did when the Pazzi and the Borgia had his brothers and father killed by the hangman's noose. I knew what he was capable of. "And I am here to help you on that. You know I am here for you in that quest, but you can't expect me to read your mind, and just follow you blindly."

His glared softened and he sighed as he let his head drop. His anger was the only thing that kept him going. Kept him focused. I let my hand fall from his arm. He just needed to calm down.

"You are right, Desmond. I am sorry for my transgression. I need to learn to calm myself before I erupt." He shook his head slowly. "I am sorry."

"It's cool." I gave him a lopsided grin. "Now that we have that out of our system, what is our plan of attack?'

The familiar light lit up his brown eyes. The one I would see when he had a plan to destroy his enemies. "This is what we are going to do."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*

I launched myself across the rooftop and followed the man from there. Ezio was tailing him on the ground. This way, we had a better chance of keeping him in sight.

I crouched on the edge of the roof, and watched him move into the square. I pushed the talk button on my earpiece. "He's moving across the square. If you hurry, you can grab him."

'_Thank you for the heads up. I will get him now.'_

I watched his dark head move from the alley he was in and around the edge of the crowd. The man, Howard, turned sharply and ran right into the wall that was named Ezio Auditore. He grabbed him by the collar, and drug him down the street. I followed him from my viewpoint and to the waiting car. Climbing down, I met him at the car.

Opening the back door for him, Ezio threw him into the seat. I climbed in and pointed the Glock at him. "My best advice is to shut up and not move."

I thought the man was about to piss himself. He tried in vain to curl up by the door and hide from us. Ezio got behind the wheel and took off. He headed out of the city and to the small place he had rented.

Once we arrived, Ezio grabbed him, pulled him from the car and into the house. I followed behind. This man was not going to live through this. I knew this and accepted it. Just before I walked into the house, my phone went off in my pocket and I pulled it out. It was Altair.

"Hello?" I stopped and sat down on the steps. "Ezio, don't do anything until I get in there."

"Whatever." He shut the door on me.

I turned my attention back to the phone. "Sorry, he caught his man."

'_That's what I was going to ask. When did that happen?'_

"Just about a half hour ago." I sighed and leaned against the house. "How is your hunt?" They were hunting down a few of the men that were responsible for an attack on the Farm last year.

'_Two are dead and the third went into hiding. Conner is in the process of tracking him down. Alanna told me to tell you hi._'

I chuckled and looked up at the gray clouds that rolled in. The snow would start to fall soon and blanket the land in a few feet of the white stuff. We had been here since the middle of summer. "Tell her hey. Hopefully you get your man, and make him pay." I may not live on the Farm any longer, or talk to my dad, but at one time that was my home. A few of the people that I grew up with had been killed in that attack.

'_Oh he will. Don't worry about that. I had better get off here. We are about to head out to meet with Conner. Call me later and let me know how it went.' _

I heard a boom from something heavy hitting the wall or floor and the man screaming. "I think I had better get in there. If not, we're not going to get any information from this guy."

Standing, I brushed off my jeans and grabbed the door handle. _'Good luck on that, boy. You know how he can be when he is motivated.'_

Oh I knew. Believe me I knew. "I'll call you later." And hung up the phone.

Stepping in the house, I quickly ducked when a lamp flew across the room and broke apart against the wall to my right. "Holy fuck! What the hell are you doing?" I looked at him, to the lamp, then back to him.

"It was either throw it or punch him. I chose to throw it." He growled.

"So punch him. He had information you want, and is not going to open his mouth any other way." I glared.

"And if I punch him, I'm not going to stop." He turned his back to me, and walked out the back door.

Screw this! I pulled the Glock out of the holster and walked into the room Howard was in. The smaller man looked up when I walked in, his beady dark eyes widened as he saw the gun in my hand. "Two and a half years ago, you sabotaged a plane that killed that man's wife and a friend of mine. You have a choice right now," I slid the slide back and chambered a round in the matte black gun, then pushed it to his forehead, "you either start talking to me about that day, or I will repaint these walls with your brain. Do you understand me?"

Howard visibly shook. "I was paid to cause the engine to blow. Some guys came and handed me a lot of money to do it. I was in debt up to my ears and I needed the cash."

I ground my teeth and ground the gun into his head. The man's eyes were closed tightly and he started to cry. "You took cash to kill someone. Someone that had a son, a husband and a family. You killed a woman that meant the world to many people in this world. Now, you had better cough up some names or I will kill you."

"Jason Carmichael and Franklin Stevens. They are the ones that brought the money to me." He cried out.

"Who sent you here?" I yelled. I was pissed.

"Alan Rikken. He's the one that sent me here to work on their planes." Tears streamed down his reddened face. "They were going to kill me if I stayed in the States."

I pulled the gun off of him and grabbed him roughly by the chin, forcing him to look at me. "You don't have to worry about them now. You have to worry about me. You are going to tell me everything you know right now, and I will decide what to do with you afterward. Understand that?"

He nodded the best he could with me holding on to his chin. I looked down and shook my head as I saw a wet spot in the man's pants. He had pissed himself. "So talk." I growled.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

I walked out back to find Ezio sitting under a tree looking down at the picture he always carried on him. I had seen it a few times. It was the last picture they took as a family. Jenna, with her smiling blue eyes and long sandy hair, sat next to him with her head on his shoulder. Marcus sat on their legs and smiled up at his parents.

He didn't move as I walked over to him. "I promised to keep her safe. I promised to be with her forever. I lied to her. I couldn't even get the information from that man for her without wanting to rip his head off."

I sat down next to him and stretched my legs out in front of me. "I got the info for you."

His head shot up. "You what?" Disbelief was in his brown eyes. The one thing we had in common was we had the same eyes.

"I put a gun to his head and made him talk." I looked over at the cottage. "I was leaving him for you. You can do what you want to do now."

"Des, you didn't have to do that." He slipped the picture back in his jacket pocket.

"Yeah I did. Ezio, we are a team. We have been for two years. I know you would have rather had Altair, but you know how he is now." I looked down at the ground.

"No, I am glad I have you as a partner." He sat a hand on my leg. "I understand Altair has Alanna now and there is no separating them from each other. It's too dangerous for all of us to be together. You stepped up where I could not and that is what a partner does for the other. Thank you."

I waved him off, but it was nice to hear the praise. "Don't worry about it. Now, can we finish this and get out of this frozen wasteland before we are snowed in?"

"Sounds good to me."

**Conner**

I stepped up on the porch of the house Altair and Alanna bought in the outlying areas of Athens, Greece. It was a small house on the outskirts of town, and did not stand out from any of the others around. "Hey, anyone home?" I called as I walked into the house.

"Back here, Conner." I heard Altair call from the back of the house.

I walked deeper into the house and found them in the back room, bent over a map of France. It was the next place they were hitting. "What are you two up to now?" I sat my bag on the floor and stepped closer.

They were speaking rapid fire Arabic and glaring at each other. Alanna pointed to the countryside outside of Paris, and said something that her husband did not like. He threw his hands up and yelled at her. I was completely in the dark and hated it.

"HEY!" I yelled at the two. They turned their heads in sync and that was kind of creepy. "What the hell are you two doing?"

"Debating on where to strike after we get done here." Altair stepped away from Alanna and shook his head. "I think we need to strike at the heart of Spain, but she thinks we need to hit France."

I lifted an eyebrow at them. "That's what has you two in an uproar?" They nodded. "That's dumb."

"Well, oh master planner, what do you think?" Alanna sat down on one of the stools.

"How about you concentrate on the man I found for you." I pulled a slip of paper from my jeans pocket and sat it on the map.

They both smiled and looked at me. "You found him?"

I nodded. "I am the best tracker out there." Out of the group, they used me when they needed someone found that went underground. I was the best at finding anyone.

We all had our special talents. Altair had a mind like a computer. He could spot a flaw in anyone's stance or demeanor. Alanna was the swiftest and the best infiltrator. She could slip into a mouse hole and out before anyone knew she was there. Ezio was the best at crowd control, or well he was when he was calmer. Right now, he was fixated on finding the last remaining people that killed Jenna, his wife.

Desmond was a special case. He had not come into his own yet, and he had not developed his own talent. Now, I'm not saying the boy wasn't a good assassin. All I was saying was that he did not have a talent as of yet.

Alanna picked up the paper and looked at it. "That's in Cairo." Her eyes turned to me. "How the hell did this guy get that far from here?"

"Don't really know. All I know is that he resurfaced there about a week ago, and joined up with a Templar mercenary group." I walked over to the fridge, pulled out a beer and cracked it open. "You were right. They are getting ready to do something big."

Altair cursed in Arabic and shook his head. "How many men are we talking?"

"Fifty at least. They know we are hunting them now." I took a swig and sat the bottle down.

Alanna stood and looked out the window at the Saronic Gulf that laid a mile or so from here. "We need to head there and wipe them out. Stop them from hurting anyone else."

I knew she had a personal vendetta with Abstergo. She had remembered more of her time in their "care". Blood work and the days in the Animus, she remembered being shocked and shot up with different cocktails that would either make her sick or knock her out. From her recounts, she believes she was there for a few months. They only recorded the first Animus sessions. When she finally shut down was when they dumped her back in the hole.

"Al, I don't think that's the best idea. Three of us versus fifty or more of them? That is not the best odds for us." I took a step towards her, but she turned and looked at me.

"Are we, or are we not assassins? We have taken on armies and won. We have killed diplomatic leaders and kings. Stopped rebellions and captured cities with only a few men. We would just have to change gears on the tactics. Nothing straightforward and nothing that they would see coming." She tapped the end of her finger to her chin.

Altair seemed to get in her wavelength, leaving me in the dark. "They cannot all be on base at all times. There will be training and supply runs. Inspections and the like." He actually smiled. "You have a good idea there."

I took another swig of my beer. "Want to fill me in on what you two plan on doing, and I have a feeling I am going to get drug into this, aren't I?"

She walked over to me and wrapped her arm around my waist. "You will love it, little brother. Some Templar bashing and infiltration. Just think of this as a day at the beach."

I looked down at her like she had lost her mind. "The day at the beach for me is a bunch of girls in skimpy bikinis lying in the sand, not hacking our way through a Templar base. You have been with him too long." I pointed to Altair, who was already pouring over a map of Egypt.

"Well, why don't you walk down to the beach right now? Get yourself some r and r, and then come back here so we can go." She walked over and leaned against the counter.

That idea I liked. "You know, I have worked hard. I think I deserve a few hours off." I walked over, grabbed my bag and headed for the room they had given to me when I stopped in. I was going to enjoy this trip to Athens and the beach for once and not have to deal with the troubles I knew I was about to find when we headed to get this guy.


	27. Chapter 27

I watched Altair and Conner as they scoped out the training grounds of the mercenaries. They raced along the roofs and slipped into the barracks to do a slight head count. When they were done, they made their way back to the staging area that I was in.

"So, what is the news on the inside?" I asked as they jumped down from the ledge.

"Twenty three in the barracks alone." Conner shook his head.

"Thirteen officers near the training grounds. Two guards at each gate and two trucks that patrol the fence line. Three in each." Altair took a seat on the ledge.

I did a small count in my head. "That's forty-eight guys we have to be aware of. Shit." I shook my head. Even I knew this was dangerous. "Did you see our guy? Maybe we could just wipe him out."

"He's in the barracks. We could probably get to him, but it would be risky." Conner looked over at the compound.

Smiling, I pulled my hood up. "Slipping in and out is what I do best." I quickly checked my blades and slipped them back into hiding.

Altair stood and grabbed my arm. "Like hell I am letting you go in that base alone."

I glared at him and pulled my arm free. "I can do this. You have to give me the chance."

"It's too risky." He shook his head. "Conner, back me up here."

I shot Conner a look and he held his hands up. "This is not my fight. I have seen her do some crazy shit, Altair. If she thinks she can do it, let her. We are here in case she runs into trouble."

"Thank you." I smiled at him, and then looked back at the man I pledged my hand to. "At least someone believes in me and my skills." Turning my back to him, I waited for him to make his move.

Then I heard him. A small sigh and he walked up behind me. "Fine, but I will go with you until the fence. You will wear a radio though."

I turned around and smiled at him. "I will. Thank you." I reached up and touched his cheek, letting my fingers trail down his jaw.

He grabbed my hand and growled at me. "Do not start that, woman."

"I will finish later." I winked and pulled my hand back. "Let's get this done."

Conner handed me his earpiece. "You run into problems, you had better call or get out of there."

I slipped it over my ear and made sure it was secure. "I will, don't worry." Putting one foot up on the edge of the building, I checked my equipment once more and took off. I heard Altair hit the roof behind me and was next to me in a moment.

Weaving through the rooftops, we made it to the end of our run. I stood next to him. "The barracks are around the main building. Get in, kill him and get out. Do you understand?"

Rolling my eyes, I knew where it was. I had looked at the maps and watched their progress. "Quit worrying, mother hen. I will be back in few. It will not that hard to kill a sleeping man."

"Alanna quit trying to act like a hard ass. This is serious." He warned me.

"And I wish you would quit acting like I was incapable of the simplest assassination. I will be fine." I fixed him with a look and took off. Jumping to the fence, I scaled it quickly and balanced on the top. Flipping off of it, I landed on my feet on the roof of a storage house with barely a sound. Quickly taking in my surroundings, I dropped to the ground, and stayed to the shadows.

Looking around the edge of the main building, I saw the front gate and one of the guards that sat there. Finding hand holds in the concrete of the building at my back, I climbed to the roof and swiftly ran to the barracks. I knew once I killed the man inside, I had to get out of there.

I entered through a sunroof and fell to the floor, rolling once I hit and back onto my feet in one fluid motion. Conner had told me the bed and walked over to it. He stirred in his sleep, but did not wake. I released the breath I was holding and let the blade on my right wrist slide out. The metal gleamed in the moonlight that filtered through the small window. It would have been quite a sight if he had woken up to see me standing over him, blade glowing slightly and a dark hood shadowing my face. Death had arrived.

Pulling back, I slammed the blade into his neck and twisted. I felt nothing as I watched the blood coat my blade and run down the front of his throat, collecting in a puddle on the pristine white sheets under his body. I pulled it out, watching the dark fluid drip from the end and turned away from the growing stain. The deed had been done. Let them see this as a message that you can run, but there is no hiding from the Assassins.

Opening the window, I slipped out and back onto the roof. I made it back to Altair in a few minutes. "He's dead. Let's go."

We ran back to Conner, who watched us with a pair of binoculars. The bags were already packed and ready for us to go. He held it up and I slung mine over my shoulder. Altair did the same. Before we stepped off the edge, the base sirens began to blare. They had discovered him.

Altair took off, and we followed him. Our car was a few blocks away. From there, we had to make it to the small airport just outside the city and take the plane back to Athens. I ran as fast as I could and beat the guys to the car. Throwing my bag into the trunk, I got in the back and pulled the black jacket over my head and began to unbuckle the blades from my wrists before they got to the car.

Altair slid into the driver's seat while Conner climbed in the passenger. He fired the car up and began to drive. I held my right blade in my hand and saw the blood on it. I knew I should have felt something for killing the man, but I didn't. Was I turning cold once more?

I shook the thought from my head and sat the blade on the seat next to me. "How long until we get to the airport?" I asked.

"At least fifteen minutes if traffic is with us." Altair turned onto the main streets and I watched the cars drive past us.

I leaned back in my seat. "Oh, by the way, I told you I could do it." A smile spread across my face as I closed my eyes and listened to Conner snicker.

*/*/*/*/*/*

Once we landed in Athens, I only had two things on my mind. A shower and sleep. Yeah, that was not going to happen when we got home.

Ezio and Desmond were sitting on the steps when we pulled up. The three of us looked at them as we got out of the car. "We couldn't reach you on the cell." Ezio looked up from his hands.

"We were getting the last of the men that attacked the Farm." Altair told him. "What's going on?"

He stood and Desmond followed suit. "Let's step inside and we will talk."

I shook my head slowly. "Why do I have the feeling I am not getting any sleep tonight?"

They smiled at me and I felt Conner's arm wrap its way around my shoulders. "You can use me as a leaning post, but I get to use you in the same way."

"Little Brother, I like the way you think." I grinned and walked into the house. "I guess I will put on the coffee. Anyone hungry?" I suppressed a yawn, as I walked past everyone once we were inside.

Desmond followed. "I'll give you a hand."

In the three years I had been back, Des had become one of my best friends. He finally came clean and told me that he was about to fight Altair for a chance to date me. I couldn't help but chuckle at him then kissed his cheek. I also told him I was way too old for him. After his confession, we began a good friendship. The damper was that we could not all be in the same area for too long.

I started the coffee as the others filed in and found places to sit. Conner jumped up and sat on the counter that was at the edge of the living room and kitchen, Altair took the chair and slouched down, and Ezio sat on the love seat. Desmond grabbed some meat from the fridge and the bread.

"Alright, I guess I just became a short order sandwich maker. What do you want?" He looked at the guys.

"A lovely combination of prosciutto and salami with a hint of honey mustard and mayo, and a slice of vine ripened tomato, and lettuce. That would be wonderful Mr. Miles." Ezio smiled at the boy.

"Shut up smart ass." Des glared at him, causing me to laugh. "For real?"

"Turkey if you got it." The Italian leaned back in his seat.

"I got mine." Conner jumped down and came around the island.

"Ham, if the walking stomach there hasn't eaten it all." Altair cracked an eye, looking at the second youngest of us, and yawning.

"Hey! You put a fair amount of food away yourself, Old Man." He smirked and then slapped Des with a piece of roast beef.

Desmond's eyes widened and looked at Conner. "You're an ass and that was completely gross." Then hit him in the forehead with an olive.

I laughed at them and leaned against the counter. I had missed having all of us in one room. Picking on each other and cracking jokes. It was nice to hear it again. Two years was a long time to normal people, but a drop in the bucket for our lifespan.

I smiled as Conner bumped Desmond with his hip and moved him out the way. Desmond, on the other hand, poked the Mohawk in his side with a fork. Ezio looked over at a dozing Altair, and got a wicked smile on his face. I covered my mouth as I tried to contain the laughter. I knew he had something evil planned, and I wanted to see how this played out.

He stood and quietly stalked towards the sleeping Arab. A blade slid out of Altair's wrist and he pointed it at the Italian. "I was not asleep, so don't even think about it. Besides I know you better than that. I know better to fall asleep around you."

Ezio frowned and sat down. "One day I will get you again, my friend. Just wait."

The coffee finished its brew and the sandwiches were done. I grabbed mugs and brought everything into the living room. Once everyone was settled, I lounged on the couch. "So, who wants to start?"

"I guess I will." Ezio sat up, sitting his coffee mug on the table next to him. "Guys, I think we need to go bigger with taking out the Templars. We are only hitting the peons. We need to hit a boss or someone higher."

Altair looked at him, brow raised. "You have something in mind?"

He nodded. "I think we need to go after the head of Abstergo."

All of our eyes widened at that. I sat up, letting my bare feet rest on the hardwood floor. "You cannot be serious. Ezio, we could never pull that off." That was insane.

"Why not? Desmond and I have been following him off and on for a year. I know where he lives, dines, his family, friends. The whole shebang. It would not be hard to get to him and kill him." He grabbed his bag that was on the side of him and pulled out a folder, then tossed it on the table. "It's all there. Photos, locations, we have covered all the bases."

Conner picked up the folder and looked through it quickly. "He has covered everything. I think we could have a shot at this. We could rid ourselves of this guy and strike a blow to them." He passed the folder to Altair, who was now completely awake.

He flipped through it, and raised his eyes to look at Ezio. "This is still slightly insane. There are too many variables that we cannot possibly deal with. I mean there are five of us, and thousands of them. Oh and there's the slight problem with us being in the same area too long! We could go into this and get killed." He put the folder on the table and I picked it up.

Standing, I walked around and studied the work the two guys had done. It was all neat and tidy, but the more I looked at it, the more I could see it was doable. "I think the idea is good, but the execution is wrong." That got everyone's attention.

"Are you siding with them on this?" Altair just stared at me.

I shook my head. "Yes and no. I mean, if we got rid of him, it would fix a lot of our problems. Give us a few years of breathing room, but it is still insane. I mean the head of Abstergo? That is crazy, but I think we specialize in crazy."

Desmond, who had been staying quiet until now, spoke up. "I don't really like it. The guy is slick and could go underground if we fail, but if we actually pull this off, it would be a benefit for the whole world. The guy is a monster."

I understood what he was saying. "I cannot believe I am about to say this, but we need to do this."

"You are siding with me?" Ezio looked up at me, hope in his eyes.

I nodded. "Yeah, I am."

Altair sat in his chair, a mask of concentration on his face. He finally shook his head. "Fine, I'm in, but we need to send them a message with this kill. It has to be public. In the open."

Conner snapped his fingers. "They are having a huge gala in Monaco in a few months. It's for that big race they have there every year. I was going to suggest we kill a few of their officers when it came up in the next planning session. They have a party every year."

Desmond smiled. "It's the Monaco Grand Prix. A Formula One racing circuit. Anyone who's anyone is there. Presidents, queens, princes, corporate heads. They flock there to be seen and broker business deals. I remember my dad always going on about it when it came around. If you want it public, that is the best place to have it."

I turned my eyes to Ezio and Altair. "What do you think guys? Think we could pull this off?"

The two men looked at each other. "It is doable. I mean, we could get rid of a lot of people there." Ezio shrugged.

Altair lowered his head and I was afraid he had changed his mind. Then he raised it again and met the eyes of everyone in the room, a smile forming on his lips. "Let's do this."

**Ezio**

Altair and I had mapped out the route of the race, while Alanna taught Conner and Desmond French. They were quick studies, but got distracted easily. She was at her wits end most of the time with them then I would step in.

"So, what are your thoughts on this whole plan so far?" I looked up from the map we had our noses shoved in.

He blinked his eyes and rubbed the grit from them. We both had been burning the candle at both ends. "It is coming along, but we are going to have to split up soon. You guys have been here for two months now. That is dangerous now."

I nodded. "I know. Someone needs to go scout the area out and plan our escape route." I grinned. "How about you and Alanna go? Call it a working honeymoon. I know you and her never got one of those."

He laughed. "There was no time and we never planned on getting married in the first place. We tend to go a bit stupid with alcohol in our systems." Downing the last bit of pop in his can, he threw it in the small can we had in the room.

"You just figure that out? Wow what a revelation!" I laughed along with him. "Anyway, I think it would be a good thing for you two to get away and do something together. Not having us up your asses all the time. I know Conner and Desmond are driving Alanna nuts with their antics as they try to stave off the boredom."

"I hear about it all the time." I was about to say something else, but I heard a crash and many curse words coming from Alanna.

We raced out into the main room to see Alanna wrapping a towel around Desmond's arm. "What the hell happened?" Altair asked as he grabbed another towel and handed it to Conner.

"I stood up to get something to snack on then tripped over that damn cat your wife rescued, and went crashing through the end table. Desmond made a grab for me, but missed and caught a piece of glass in his arm when I went through it." He pulled a jagged piece from his bicep, and hissed in pain. "Paging Dr. Auditore."

I walked over and looked at the gash in his upper arm. "Well, if we haven't lost the immortality yet, you will be fine in a few hours. If we have, well you are going to need a few stitches." I wrapped the towel around it to contain the bleeding. "How's your arm, Des?"

He pulled the towel that was around his cut. "Not too bad. A scratch at best."

I sighed and shook my head. "Children."

Alanna had walked out of the room and walked back in holding the gray cat. It hissed at Conner, who hissed back. "Little bastard."

"Leave my cat alone, Conner. You are the one that stepped on him." She glared at him and petted the cat.

Altair looked over at his wife. "That thing hates everyone but you."

She smiled at the cat and scratched under the cat's chin. "Because I am nice to him, and feed him. All you have ever done is yell at him and throw things at him. No wonder he attacks you at every turn."

"Well the little demon needs to be muzzled. He is a danger to anything that moves." The older man glared at the monster in Alanna's arms.

She stuck her tongue out and sat the cat down. He hissed at everyone, rubbed against her leg and walked out of the room, tail held high. "Alanna, can you go get me the medical kit, please?"

Nodding, she walked from the room once more. We kept an emergency kit with us at all times just in case things like this happened. I pulled the towel away from Conner's wound and shook my head. "So, will it scar? Chicks dig cool scars." He grinned at me, and I poked him in the gash. He hissed in pain. "That was uncalled for, Ezio."

"Pain lets you know you are still breathing. Let it soak in and learn from this. No, it will not scar. None of your wounds scar. It's from the whole immortal thing. We may not be immortal now, but we will be in a few hours." I told him.

Alanna came back with the kit and handed it to me. "Here you are." She had some gauze in her hand for Desmond's arm. Walking over to him, she began bandage him back up.

I looked at him. "This is going to hurt like hell. You know that right?"

"I know. Shall we move to the kitchen so I can sit down and you have better lighting?" He asked, holding the towel on his wound.

"And I will start getting this shit cleaned up. No sense in the rest of us getting wounded when we were not at fault." Altair growled.

"Blame it on the hairy beast that your wife thinks is a great pet." Desmond mumbled, but yelled when Alanna smacked him.

"Damn it guys, leave him alone. He did nothing besides walk past at the wrong time." She growled at everyone.

And thus this was what I was reduced to. Playing field medic to a bunch of rowdy boys.

**Poor Ezio! And what about their insane plan to kill the head of Abstergo? Thing are finally starting to get rolling for them and I had to throw a cat in there. I have a cat named Bob that my husband says he hates, but will pet him when Bob comes near him. Till next time.**


	28. Chapter 28

**Rebecca**

I walked around the palazzo with the phone pressed to my ear, listening to the information Shaun had dug up for us. We were still playing tech support for our team in the field.

"I understand that, Shaun, but you cannot convince them that this will be the death of them." I shook my head. The gang had this fool's notion that they could kill Alan Rikken and that would be the end of the Abstergo problem for a while, but there would always be someone that would step up and take his place.

'_Bloody hell Rebecca, what do you want me to do, fly to Monaco and show them in black and white that this plan of theirs is going to sink faster than the Titanic on her maiden voyage?'_ He growled in the phone and I could almost hear his brows furrowing in frustration_. 'I know they are good at what they do, but they have to realize that this is one plan they will never pull off.'_

"I don't know what to do. Ezio caught the man that was responsible for Jenna's death and now he is hell bent on destroying the whole company. It would take a nuclear holocaust to wipe Abstergo from the face of the Earth." I flopped into the chair and let out a sigh. "I am out of ideas."

'_Well, it just so happens that I am not. If I must, I will find them and show them the errors that come along with this idiocity that they are trying. I cannot believe that Altair and Ezio would go along with this. I thought they were smarter than this.'_

"Yeah well, one is sick with grief still and the other is sick with love. They are not thinking clearly and if you remember that it was Ezio and Desmond's idea to do this in the first place. I think the only one that might listen to you is Conner and possibly Alanna, but good luck getting to Alanna without going through her partner. You might just want to try for Conner instead." I looked out the window in front of me and saw Kate sitting by the small fountain out back. Dawson was in the basement working on his guns.

'_Then I will just have to go that route. Kim is going to kill me, but this must be done. We cannot let them loose half-cocked and destroy everything.'_ I heard papers being shuffled around and a few keystrokes on the keyboard. _'Can you get a message to him to call me?'_

"I can do that, or better yet, would you like him to come to you so you can show him face to face why this will not work? I can have him on the first flight to the States." I stood up and walked over to where I had sat my tablet down in disgust. Picking it back up, I sent him a message for him to call my phone in ten minutes. I knew he would get it. He was always playing games on his. It was nearby.

'_If you can have him come to me, that would be wonderful, but a call would work.'_

"You can talk to him and figure things out. I am staying out of it because no one wants to listen to me." Walking into the kitchen, opened the fridge and grabbed a yogurt. I tore off the top and licked the extra off the foil. "Have fun with that."

'_Oh I will. I feel sometimes we are just here to keep them from making a large mess of the thing those five decide to attack.'_

And I felt the same way. "I am right there with you, Shaun, but I had better get off here. He will be calling in a few minutes. I will have him call you right away."

'_Sounds good. Be safe Rebecca.'_

"Same to you." And I hung up the phone. I grabbed a spoon and began to eat my treat, but was only two bites into it when my phone went off. "Hello Conner."

'_You wanted me to call?'_ He asked and sounded out of breath.

"Yeah, and what's up with you? You sound like you just ran a marathon." I spooned another bit into my mouth.

'_I was out enjoying the warm weather over here. What did you need?' _

"You need to call Shaun. He has something for you guys." I was not going to go into details with him. That was between him and the Brit.

I heard him breathe out. _'Any usually for that you would have told one of the other four. Why are you telling me and what are you trying to hide?' _

Damn I forgot he was pretty sharp. "Fine, Shaun and I think this idea of you guys going after Rikken is stupid. All you guys are going to do is either piss them off or get your asses killed. He has proof that what I am saying is the truth." I did not sugar coat it. He was the one I didn't have to. He was like Altair and Ezio. Straight and to the point was the best. Better to not waste time on long winded explanations, they always said.

'_Well, since you put it like that, I was starting to feel the same way. I mean, taking out one man would not do anything really anyway, but you can't tell the older three that. They have a vendetta against the Templars, and will not back down unless they can be proven wrong.'_

"I know what you are saying. Call Shaun and let him tell you what he has found out. Then you can carry the message to the others. When do they plan on doing this?" All they told me was it was going to be during the Monaco Grand Prix, but that was still a few months off.

'_We have not worked out the details on the day, but it will be during their annual gala right before the race. That would be the optimal time to strike.'_

They were right. At least that part was true. "Tell Shaun that. He will want to know. They have not been giving us a lot of information on this mission. You have been the only one that is really talking to us."

'_Desmond won't talk? That is strange. I guess he is following what Ezio told him. He emulates that man. Wants to be just like him. While I am glad the lad is looking up to one of us and trying to learn from that, I think he may have picked the wrong one at the wrong time. Ezio has kind of stepped off the deep end with the revenge.' _

I sighed and finished off my treat. "We all know that. He has become a one man wrecking crew and there is not a soul that will stand up to him."

'_I will and Alanna will call him out, but Altair will side with him nine times out of ten. They share the bond of hate. They both know where the other one is coming from. I, on the other hand, have never been married.' _He chuckled.

"But yet, you had a kid." I smiled.

'_Hey, we all have to have our outlets. Sex is mine. I like it and will do it when I get the chance, but we are not talking about me right now. I never knew my daughter. I was, in a lack of better terms, killed when she was a few months old. I watched her grow, but was not there. Anyway, I know what you are saying. I will give him a call.'_

"Sounds good to me. I will talk at you later." Leaning against the counter, I launched the empty yogurt cup and nailed the garbage can. I still had it.

'_Talk to you later, Becca.'_ He hung up the phone and I sat mine on the counter. I was hoping he would be able to talk some sense into the others.

**Conner**

I pulled the collar of my jacket up around my neck as I stepped from the warmth of the airport. My breath came out in mists as I looked around for my ride. Shaun told me he would meet me here when I arrived, but I guess he was running late. I did come into one of the busiest airport in the country, the Newark Liberty International.

"Conner!" I heard my name being called and turned to see Shaun jogging up. When he reached me, he bent over and was breathing heavy.

I laughed at the Brit. "What did you do, run here from the college?"

He stood up and looked up at me. "No. I got caught in traffic and had to park down the way. I hope your flight was uneventful?"

"Of course, but I forgot how cold it is in Jersey this time of the year. I have not been this far north in many, many years. I hate the city, and airports, and large crowds." I grinned, and shifted the bag on my shoulder.

"Then you hate any major city that has people." He waved me to follow him, which I did.

I walked next to him, dodging a few people who waited for a cab or the shuttle. "Not all cities. I try to avoid the east coast, the west coast, and most of the metro areas, but New Orleans I can deal with and a few cities in California. I like Hawaii, and Tahoe, only because I like to ski. I know I am a contradiction to everything I just said I hated."

"Not at all. Have you been overseas much? I bet you hate a lot of cities and towns over there." He pulled the car keys from his pocket and hit the remote to locate the small car in the sea of small cars.

I looked at his little Prius. "Can you get any smaller?" I wrinkled my nose at the tiny midget that was supposed to be a car. "This is like a matchbox car trying to play a grownup."

He gave me a messed up look. "Are you referring to those small cars that people would collect as children?"

"Are you really talking like a seventy years old man that is scolding a child? Dude, I am much older than you and yes, I am talking about those. I figured you would know about them since you love history so much. They were originally from England. Formed in 1953, if my memory serves me right, and it always does." I grabbed the door handle and opened in. "God, this thing is tiny on the inside."

"Well, all of us cannot afford to drive gas guzzling beasts like you prefer to drive. I like to save the world, and my little car does that." He climbed in and I did the same.

I sat my bag in the back seat and buckled up. He backed out of the parking spot, and we were off. "So, what info do you have that will stop this plan of theirs?"

"I have a list of every man and woman that would take Rikken's place if he is taken out." He turned into the stream of cars that were leaving the airport and we bobbed along at a whopping fifteen miles an hour until we got to the main road.

I nodded and looked out the window. "I am listening. What do you want us to do, kill all of the people on that list?"

"Nothing of the sort. I was thinking that you could become shareholders and kill only a few of them. What would be worse than scaring the staff, and then taking over the company from a legal way? Come at it from two angles. It would be a masterpiece of tactical planning. I have been working on the details for a few years now." He smiled over at me and turned right.

I looked at him, one brow raised in a question. He wanted us to do what now? I was not all into the buying out the company, but getting a few people bumped off, I could get behind. "Now, run that by me one more time. You want us to buy out Abstergo?"

He nodded his red head. "They are a publically traded company, so they have shareholders and stockholders. Four of you have the funds to buy out a lot of people in many key areas. You could take them down from two ways. If you buy the stocks and shares, you could limit their progress and have a say in what they can and cannot do. Then, if you start taking out the management, you could filter in our people and then we might be able to get someone to the top. Shut them down that way. It will take time, but we would be able to hold them in the palm of our hands then shut them down."

This sounded crazier than the last plan. "Shaun, do you hear yourself? You want us to start assassinating key people to put your people in their places while we buy the company out from under their noses. That is crazy."

"Oh, and blowing up the upper management isn't?" Shaun looked out the windshield, but spared a quick glance at me. "The Templars are like a hydra, Conner. Cut off the one head and three more show up. You have to attack it from the inside out. That is what my plan calls for. While a few of you attack the heads, a few more attack from the inside and destroy the beast."

Now that he worded it like that, I could start to see that plan in my head. Attack on two fronts. Keep them focused on the physical attacks, while another slips in behind and takes them out silently. "I am hearing what you are saying. You have this on paper? They are not going to believe me on this one."

"Actually I do. Kim came up with the concept. She is amazing when it comes to numbers and figures. I am only here for tactical support and a few history lessons, but I do not have to worry about the lessons with you." He chuckled.

"This is true. Now, I am following you so far. Once I actually see this, I think I will jump aboard all of this, but we are going to need Rebecca to funnel some accounts. Altair told me that once they found out who he was, they froze his accounts. Ezio as well. Alanna's were drained when they thought she was killed and placed in a vault somewhere. They did not tell me where. All of my money is at my place. I hated the government and I have never had a bank account in my whole unnatural life." I shifted a bit in my seat. "Think she can do it?"

"Is the sky blue? If it has to do with computers, that woman can work magic with it."

We drove for a while and talked out the plan. It was sound and had a lot of good ideas, and I could see how it was better than what was planned by us. We were still thinking like we would when we were mortal. Our ideas were outdated, and that was why we were losing this war.

Once we arrived at his place, he ushered me in and Kim was waiting for us. She smiled and extended her hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Conner. I have heard many good things about you from the others."

I smiled and shook her hand. "A pleasure as well. I am glad to finally meet you. Now, shall we go over this plan of yours?"

She lead me to a room in the back of their small home and pulled a few papers from a filing cabinet. "This is what I have so far. I was hoping to show the others, but Shaun told me you guys are spread around."

Taking the papers from her, I started to look them over. "Altair and Alanna are in Monaco doing some scouting and Ezio is with Desmond in Athens, keeping their heads down from their trip to Russia."

She stood there next to Shaun and watched me with her pale green eyes. "So, what do you think so far?"

I flipped through a few pages and nodded. "You have covered all the details. Why didn't you start doing this?"

Chuckling, she shook her head. "We may be professers at a large college, but money is one thing we do not have a lot of. It will take a small fortune to pull this off."

I grinned as I pulled out my phone. "I know four people, myself included, that can fund this."

Kim and Shaun broke out in large smiles.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Seven of us were gathered around Shaun's desk in their home. We gathered a few days later. It was hell trying to get them back into the states. Altair yawned and stretched. Ezio rubbed his red eyes and Desmond leaned a little heavy on the desk. Alanna and I were the only ones that seemed to be wide awake.

Shaun started out and explained the plan. Ezio stopped him half way through. "So, you want us to use our combined wealth to buy out Abstergo?"

The Brit nodded. "That is correct." He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and grabbed the packet they had showed me. "This will show you what we have planned, but it is up to you. It is your money."

Alanna held up her hand. "You have me lost, sorry. I have no clue where my money is. For that, you have to deal with the guys." Patting Altair on the back, she took a seat in a chair and closed her eyes. I was pretty sure she was asleep a minute after she did that.

"Well, looks like it falls to us." Altair yawned. "But is there any way we can talk about this after we have had some sleep? I don't sleep well on planes."

Ezio followed behind him with another yawn. "I second that. My mind is taking in what you are saying, but I am not fully processing it."

Desmond looked up at us, brown eyes slowly blinking. "Did someone say sleep?"

Kim laughed, and looked at her husband. "I believe they are tired, Shaun."

He laughed a long side of her. "I believe you are right." He tidied up the papers. "I think we will reconvene after you gentlemen get some rest. The guest rooms are set up, but people are going to be sharing beds. There are queen size beds in the rooms, but that is all."

"I will take the couch." Desmond held up his hand. "I will not share another bed with Ezio. He kicks way too much."

The Italian laughed. "Who said I was not doing it on propose?"

That got a laugh from everyone in the room. "Very funny, asshole." Desmond glared at Ezio. "Good night to you all." H walked out of the room.

I shook Alanna awake. "Hey, everyone is going to get some sleep. I think you should follow."

"I am not that tired." She yawned and stood. "Well, maybe a little."

They all agreed to go get some sleep and meet back in the office in a few hours. They filed out of the room, and I looked at Kim and Shaun. "I am pretty sure they will do it. If not, well, I will try to make them."

"I hope you are right, Conner, because we are running out of options and time." Shaun shook his head and sighed. "I just hope this works."

**To everyone that has been reading New Beginnings, i just want to let you know, I am going to be taking a break for a week or two. I will return and finish this thing once and for all. Love everyone and see you soon.**

_*SassierSphinx*_


	29. Chapter 29

**Ezio**

I looked over the new plans in the morning light when I was not about to drop over from exhaustion. They were quite detailed in their hostile takeover of Abstergo. "This is quite good. I mean, I wish I had thought about it." I looked up at Shaun, who sat across the table from me.

No one else was awake, save the two of us. The sun was just barely over the horizon, and I knew that the two oldest would be waking soon, followed shortly by Conner. I was surprised when Desmond woke before the clock hit the double digits.

Shaun smiled and sipped his coffee. "I'm glad you approve, Ezio, but will the others?"

Sitting the papers in the table, I leaned slightly back in the chair. "I believe they will. To tell you the truth, we have been growing tired of this life." I sighed as I leaned forward and rested my arms on the table. "When you have been at the game as long as we have, sometimes you just get tired of the same song and dance."

He looked over at me, eyebrow raised in question to what I just said. "You want to walk away?"

I shook my head and took a drink from the glass in front of me. "A thought only, you should not be worried. We would not leave the world for the Templars to take over."

Blowing out the breath that he was holding, he slouched in his chair. "You have me worried there for a bit. A lot is riding on you guys agreeing to doing this."

Standing, I walked across the room, and laid a hand on his slumped shoulder. "You don't have to worry about that. We will do what is called of us to finish something we started."

"But, you didn't start this?" He looked up at me.

I removed my hand. "No, I didn't, but we are just going to clean up the mess left behind."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Once everyone pulled themselves from a bed and to the dining room, we reconvened our meeting from last night. Altair jumped on board, as did Alanna. Conner was already up for it, and Desmond just shook his head.

"Hey, I know I am just here to shoot someone. I don't have the funds to back this up. That is all on the four of them." He looked at us.

I sat in one of the chairs, and turned my eyes on Altair. "Where did you put Alanna's money? You were the one that withdrew it."

"It's in a safe at my other house in Florida." He smiled and took a drink from his coffee. "I guess I am going to have to go pick it up, huh?"

"That would be a good idea." I rolled my eyes. "Now, onto the killings. We are going to have to scout out these people and figure out the best place to kill them. I would say to make it as public as possible without getting caught."

Conner slouched in his seat and looked over at me. "I would agree to that, but they know our faces. They know who we are."

Shaun nodded. "That's true, but how did you guys give them the slip in Italy?"

"Makeup, and new looks." Alanna looked out the window at the falling snow.

"Then do that again. I mean, you are going to have to adapt. That is the whole idea behind this plan. To adapt to the changing times and take them down from the inside, but we need some of these people out of the way. I have Rebecca and Dawson coming into town in a week. I also have William sending a few people to help." Shaun paced the room. "This is not just a five person plan. This is going to take many people in many areas. You guys cannot handle it on your own. Not anymore."

Altair leaned forward in his chair. "You should have told us this in the beginning, Shaun. We do not play well with mortals."

Alanna looked at him. "Speak for yourself. I am fine with having others help. Frankly, we have been doing a shitty job taking them down. Maybe striking them from that many angles will keep them off balance long enough for us to get this done."

That was the Alanna I remember. She had been coming back, piece by piece, but still retaining the innocence she had found when she was Anna. She would stand up to Altair, and that made me smile. "I am with Alanna. I think we need the help, but I would feel better if one of us was paired with one of the mortals."

"I don't think so." Altair growled. He was not a big fan of being away from Alanna for any length of time. He had confided in me that he was afraid that if he was not near her, he would lose her again.

I looked over at him. "I know what is going through your head, but I think it has to be done. We have the most experience at this and with that knowledge, we can do this. That would leave Shaun, Kim and Rebecca to take care of the financial part of this. Five teams of two would be better."

"If it would make you feel better, I will take Dawson with me. I know him, and I have worked with him. He is a good partner and you know he would watch my back, just as you would." She walked over to him and placed her hands on his shoulders and began to rub.

I watched the older man's head drop and a slight moan escape his lips. "Fine, I can live with that."

"Now that is settled. We need to figure out how we are going to get you guys everywhere." Kim spoke up from her place near the door.

Conner held up his hand. "I have a few cars at my place in Texas. They never did go there. It is safe and there are weapons there. If you can get another car for us, we can drive down there and get them. It would be a few days there and a few days back."

I shook my head. "That would take too long. I say we find local."

"Are you talking about stealing, or having Shaun and Kim buys a few for us?" Desmond asked. He had been quiet for a while.

"No stealing. We buy a few cars." I stood and popped my back.

Altair lifted his head. "That will not work. You can only have so many cars in your name before you have to get a dealer's license. We would need at least five. One for each. Plus, if they are watching, which I know they are. If five cars were bought by two professors at one time, that would send up red flags. I have a few cars stashed places. I mean, I need to back it to St. Petersburg, Florida. I just need a lift to Manhattan to grab one of them then someone can come with me to Florida to grab another. I also have three stashed in Ohio, Kentucky, and Virginia."

Conner looked over at him. "And why do you have cars stashed all over the States? Are you that paranoid?"

Desmond raised a brow at him. "Do you really need an answer to that question? That is Altair you are talking to. He has a paranoid streak a mile wide."

That got a glare from the ancient assassin. "Hey, don't be making fun of my paranoia, Desmond. If I recall right, you are the same way about some things. And to answer Conner's question. I have cars all over the place because for a long time I was flipping cars and putting them on display at car shows and museums. All I have to do is walk in and claim them back."

"Oh." The Mohawk nodded.

I had to get them back on track. "Anyway! We need to start scouting. Altair, you head to Florida and get the money. Conner, Desmond, Alanna, you can ride with him and get a few cars. That way we will have them when the others show up. I think that is fair. I will stay here, help coordinate and find the people we need to scout."

There were nods all around. Finally, there was progress!

**Alanna**

In day following our strategy meeting with everyone, more plans were made and more cars picked up. I rode with Altair all the way to Florida to get my money and grab one more car. Coming back was adventurous to say the least. Stopping for gas in Virginia, we were found by an Abstergo agent and he gave chase. My car was faster, but took a few hits. Finally lost him on the other side of D.C., and after that, we split up.

Altair took a longer route up through New York and avoided the major cities. I drove up the Eastern seaboard and only stopped when I needed to. I made it back three hours before he did.

I was in the kitchen, helping Kim and Kate cook something for the growing army that had invaded Kim and Shaun's house when Altair finally showed up. I smiled at him when he walked into the room. "I see you finally made it back."

He inclined his head. "Yeah, I'm here. What? Did you think I wouldn't come back?"

Smirking, I chopped the bell pepper I had on the cutting board. "One could only hope."

That stopped him in his tracks. "Do what?"

The two other women in the room began to laugh at the confused expression on his tanned face. I sat my knife down and walked over to him, placing a kiss on his cheek. "You really have no sense of humor. I was only playing with you, Altair. I am glad you are back though."

He exhaled and looked down at me. "You had me worried there for a minute. I thought I did something to piss you off again."

"Well, I was pissed when you didn't show me that car sooner. That was a rocket ship on wheels." Heading back over to the cutting board, I began to chop the pepper once more. We were making fajitas.

He chuckled. "That is it. You can have it if you want. Call it a present."

"Thank you." I smiled over at him. "Now, what is going on with the scouting? I know you have already gone and talked to the General."

That was the nickname we had taken to giving Ezio when he was in this mode. "After we eat, you and I are heading into Manhattan to scout two men. Desmond is heading to Trenton, Conner is driving up to Maine, and Ezio has two marks in Boston. He already sent the others out."

He was talking about the other assassins we had on loan from William. Rebecca and Dawson were here as well. Dawson was going out as well. Rebecca was still working on getting everything set up to start the stock buying. That was hers and Kim's territory. We were staying away from that.

"How is Becca doing on syphoning money out of a few of yours and Ezio's accounts?" I scooped the onions off the cutting board and placed them in the bowl next to me.

He shrugged. "Don't know, didn't ask. I would assume she is doing fine." He grabbed a seat on the barstool.

"Altair, could I beg a favor from you, dear?" Kate asked from her place in front of the stove.

"What do you need, Kate?" He looked around me at her.

"I need the fajita mix in the fridge." She smiled.

He nodded and stood. "Sure."

I smiled. Kate always included everyone in whatever she was doing. To her, we were all her family. A highly dysfunctional crazy family, but I don't think she would have it any other way.

"You might want to grab the sour cream, salsa, avocadoes and shredded cheese while you are in there." She told him, not looking up from the meat she was cooking.

Kim laughed. "Kate would you like him to clean out the fridge while he is in there as well. Although, that would be wonderful. I've been trying to get Shaun to do that for a week now."

"Don't push your luck with him, Kim. He may be willing to help now, but he will walk away." I chuckled, and handed her the bowl with the cut vegetables.

"I knew I should have waited until you women were done in here to come in here. I'm feeling used at this point in time." I could tell he was joking.

Taking a few things from his arms, I sat them on the counter and began to make fresh guacamole. "Will you go tell the others that the food is almost ready?"

He sat the other things down. "Not a problem." He walked from the room, and I shook my head when he walked around the corner.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Smoothing the wrinkles out of the midnight blue cocktail dress I was wearing, I walked into the upper class bar. Altair was tracking the other man. He was not happy about me taking this one, but I could blend in here to where he could not. I knew he was not fond of dress clothes. Jeans and t-shirts were his thing. He was downtown, watching the other man.

Taking a corner booth, a waiter walked up, took my drink order and walked away to retrieve it. Scanning the room, I saw my mark sitting with a few other men towards the back. Young, but not too young. Early to mid-thirties, dark blond hair. You could tell he came from money. His father was a Templar as well. That was who Conner was going to watch for the night. His jacket was on the back of his chair, tie discarded. The other three men he was with were from Abstergo as well, but they were not on the hit list. He was for his position.

The waiter sat the glass of wine in front of me, and I gave him a small smile. He returned the smile with one of his own and walked off to help someone else.

I sipped on the wine and watched the man for a bit. An hour or so passed and I was growing bored. He was not moving and all they were talking about was football and the weather. I needed to know where he lived or where he was going after this.

A glass was sat down in front of me. I looked up at the waiter. "I didn't order this."

He smiled. "I know. The gentleman over there took the liberty of ordering it for you." He pointed to, of all people, my target. "Enjoy."

I could use this to my advantage. Carefully standing, I picked the drink up from the table and walked over the men. I made sure to put a bit more sway in my hips. They all looked at me as I approached. "I wanted to come over and properly thank you for the drink."

Smiling, he looked at me. "You are quite welcome. Are you here alone?"

Thinking quickly, I nodded. "A friend set me up on a blind date. I guess he decided not to show."

"That's too bad. I don't see how anyone would want to stand you up. I'm Kevin McDaniels, and you are?" He stood and held out his hand.

I switched my drink to my other hand and placed my hand in his. He brought it up to his lips and kissed my knuckles. I faked a blush. "Olivia Houser, a pleasure to meet you."

"Would you like to join us?" He pulled out the chair at the end of the table.

I shook my head. "I really should be going. I have work in the morning."

One of the other men smiled. "Just join us for one drink."

"One drink and I really must be going." I smiled and sat down.

Kevin smiled and sat down in his chair. "Olivia, what do you do for a living?"

"I am a corporate assassin." I smiled over the rim of my glass. The four men looked at me, eyebrow cocked. I chuckled. "Not the way you are thinking. I go to businesses that are in trouble and buy them for my clients. After that, I help sell them off piece by piece, or I figure out if they can be saved. The reason I call myself a corporate assassin is because the people don't know the company is dead until I get there. I am the one that kills it for them. Well, most of the time."

They smiled and nodded. "You sound very cutthroat, Olivia." One of the other men said with a smile on his face.

"I can be, but that is at work. I am not that way outside of the office." I took another drink form my glass, and sat in front of me.

I carried on small talk for a bit. Once my glass was empty, I smiled. "Gentlemen, it was a pleasure to have such wonderful company, but I really should be going." I stood and grabbed my purse.

Kevin stood. "Let me walk you out then, if you really have to go, or I could give you a ride home?" He smiled.

Now this was getting interesting. "My car is in the parking lot. If you would like, you could walk me there." Altair had left the car here, and I was to pick him up when he called. All he was doing was watching the other target from the comfort of a taxi. He had 'borrowed' a taxi from a livery. Well, more like commissioned one for the night.

"Let me get my jacket." He pulled it off the back of the chair, put it on and walked over to my side. Grabbing my jacket before I could, he held it out for me to put on.

I would give him credit. He was turning on the charm heavy. Taking my arm, he lead me out of the bar, we walked to the rear of the building to where the private lot was for the bar. I hit the unlock button for the GTO. "Thank you for walking me out here. I don't normally take my own car, but I have to leave in the morning and my hotel in over by the airport."

He released me and pulled out a business card from the breast pocket of his jacket. "This has my personal cell phone number on it. You should give me a call when you are in town again. We can grab drinks again."

I smiled, batted my lashes, and took the card from him. He would be dead before the end of the week. "I would like that. It was nice to meet you, Kevin." I leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Well goodnight."

I climbed into the car, and fired up the motor. He stepped away from the car as I placed the car into reverse. Pulling out my cell, I dialed Becca's number. It rang three times and she answered. _'Hey, what's going on?'_

I pulled into traffic, and followed the flow. "I need you to do a reverse search on a number for me. I have McDaniel's cell number. I need his address. Can you do that?"

'_Will you live forever? Yeah, I can do that. Give me the number.' _

I pulled the business card from my purse when I came to a red light, and rattled it off to her. "I am driving right now, so I have no way to write it down. Can you text it to me?"

'_Sure thing. While you are in the city, will you get me something?' _

I chuckled and switched ears so it was easier to shift the gears. "Sure, what do you want?"

**To give you heads up, the next chapter is going to be taking place at the same time this one was. Just so there is no confusion. I have been working on turning this story around. I noticed it was starting to drag and there was little to no action as of late. Now, here they are in prey mode. Enjoy!**


	30. Chapter 30

**Desmond**

The snow fell around me as I walked the streets of Trenton. My mark was not at home and I had not had any luck at the local restaurants. I ground my teeth in frustration. I hated just waiting around for someone to show up. Tucking my hands firmly into my pockets, I played with the change I had in my pocket. There was about fifty-seven cents there. I had left most of the money I had in the car that was parked in a lot about a mile from here. My target's house was right around the corner from there, but when I got there, there were no lights on.

I kicked a small rock, and watched it skid across the icy street. I can't believe the one time I need this man to be on a normal schedule, he's not.

"Des!" I turned when I heard my name. Gwen, the young girl that befriended Alanna at the Farm jogged up to me. She was one of the assassins that Dad had sent to help us on this assignment.

She stopped in front of me, breathing hard. Bending over, she took a minute to catch her breath. "I found your guy. He is with mine. Just showed up a few minutes ago. They were driving to the local steakhouse."

Oh I wanted to kiss this girl at that moment. "Where is your car?" I asked.

"I hit a patch of ice and slid into a curb, busting the tire from the rim. I was running around looking for you. No one would answer their phone and yours is the only number I didn't have. Lucky me I guess." She sighed. "So, you want to team up?"

I nodded. "I was about to go stir crazy. Come on, walk and talk, Gwen." I started for the car, and fell into step with me. "How did you find me?"

"I know where your target lives. I figured you were either there, or near there. That's where I was heading." She told me and shook the snow from her hair. "So, why are we not killing them tonight?"

"Because we have to know when to strike. Everyone has to be hit at one time. The thing is we can't hit the target we scouted." I informed her. That was what Ezio had said. Less chance someone can point a finger at one of us.

"Oh okay. I guess that makes sense." She shoved her hands in her pockets. "Damn, it's cold here."

I laughed at her. "Try being in Montana in a blizzard. That is cold. Alaska is worse though." I had been in Alaska several years ago trying to clear my head, when a freak snow storm came out of nowhere. Was stranded there for a few days. It wasn't so bad. It was actually kind of peaceful.

We walked back to the car I had on loan. It wouldn't have been my first choice. I was into bikes, not muscle cars. Altair, on the other hand, was a car man. I wasn't even listening to him when he told me what it was. All I know was what the badging said. A Ford Thunderbird.

Gwen looked at the car and whistled. "Is that yours?"

I shook my head. "Nope, it's Allen's. The man is gifted with a wrench and knowledge of old cars."

She looked the car up and down. "Wish I could do that."

I unlocked the car and climbed in, reached over and unlocked her door. "Get in." She did as she was told and buckled up. "Where am I heading?"

Gwen gave me directions and I headed there, only sliding a few times. The roads were like glass. Granted, the car was heavy, but being rear wheel drive, it was the not the best in the snow. How I wished to be back in Greece, on the beach, surrounded by bikini-clad women. That was a nice dream.

Pulling, well rather sliding, into a parking spot, I killed the motor and got out. Grabbing some bills from the glove box, I shoved them into my jeans pocket and waited for Gwen to join me at the front of the beast.

She got out, and looked at me. "What's our plan of attack?"

"Try to get as close to them as we can. If not, we have to just watch them. If they leave before we can, one of us is going to have to follow them." I told her.

"And if they split? My car is not going anywhere anytime soon. I…ugh… don't have a spare tire. It's already on the car." She smiled nervously. "I popped one coming here."

Rolling my eyes, I shook my head. "Doesn't he give you guys any money at all?"

"Who? The Grandmaster?" She looked at me curiously.

I growled. "Yes, the idiot that is in that position."

She shook her head. "Not really. I mean, we live off the grid. We get what we need for missions, and that's it. This is the first time I have been away from the Farm this long."

I ground my teeth. That was the reason why I left in the beginning. I could not stand to be off the grid, disconnected from the world. I understand why we do it, but in the same breath, it is not the smart idea. I have learned more about the Templars and their ways being in the world than I ever did sitting on the Farm. "I will get you a tire in the morning. They don't expect us back until sometime in the next day or so."

Gwen pushed her coppery hair away from her face. "You really don't have to do that. I am not that worried about that car. I don't think it's going to last much longer."

I took her arm and started for the door. "Well, you are going to need it for right now. We will get you a tire and have Allen look at it when we get back. Like I said, he is a wiz when it comes to cars. I have seen him repair a car with duct tape and a tin can. Damn thing got us about a hundred miles before the motor finally blew on us."

"Wow. Maybe he will give me some pointers. I have no clue about cars. I know how to put oil in it, gas, and change a tire. That's my knowledge." She chuckled as we walked in.

I laughed along with her, because before I got hooked up with the ancients, I had no idea about cars as well. I have come far in twelve years, both as a person and an assassin. The immortality thing helped a bit with the assassin thing, but I would keep that part to myself. "I was the same way before I had a few lessons from the guys."

We waited a few minutes for a table and luck held out because we were put a few tables away from the two men we had to watch. They were having a rather heated talk when we past to go to our table. I sat with my back to them and Gwen sat in front of me.

After placing our drink order, I attempted to listen to their talk, but because of the noise in the place and the televisions, I could only catch a few words here and there, but it was enough to piece together what was going on.

"The man I am supposed to be tailing is moving in a week to the instillation in China. He's not happy about it, but he is going to do it." I told her in a low voice.

She looked at me. "You can hear them? I can't make out anything."

I nodded. "I have good hearing." I wasn't about to tell her that I knew ancient secrets of the order and learned from the best. "That does not give us a lot of time to get this together." Ezio needed to know this now.

"So, what do we do now?"

I was about to answer when our server walked over with our drinks and was ready to take our order. We told her and she walked off to put it into the kitchen. Once she was gone, I focused on Gwen. "That is up to Eric. He is the one coordinating this whole thing. I am just here to get info for him and Shaun."

"What are they saying now?" Taking a sip of her drink, she added another sugar packet to the sweet tea.

Listening in again, they were talking about something to do with a new subject. These guys must be high up on the food chain if they knew things like that. "They are talking about another target for their experiments. I haven't said their name."

Pulling out my phone, I opened a new text window and began to text Ezio what I had heard. He replied that I may have to take them out tonight, but to wait until he found out more. I didn't have the money on me to stay in a hotel, and I was not sleeping in the car.

Listening to them a bit more, they had left the topic of Abstergo behind and began to talk about their girlfriends. I shook my head and drank my pop. Gwen waited until I was ready to talk. Finally when I realized that they were done talking about work, I turned my attention on her. "They are not going to talk about work anymore." I sighed and ran a hand down my face.

"Can I ask a personal question?" She leaned her elbows on the table, and rested her chin on her hands.

"Why not? I guess we have kind of become partners for the night." I shrugged.

"How old are you? I mean, I know you are William's son, but you left the Farm twenty years ago. That would put you in your thirties, but you don't look that old." She looked at me with those green eyes.

So I lied. "I have good genes. I age well, and that is all you are getting from me." I smiled at here. "You are what, eighteen?"

Gwen's nose scrunched up and she sat up straight. "I am twenty-two."

I smirked. "You are still a baby in this world, sweetheart."

"I am not!" She looked a bit offended that I would call her that.

Trying to smooth her ruffled feathers, I smiled. "What I meant by that is, you have not done half of the things I had done at that age. I learned what I know on the run, while you have stayed in the safety of the Farm. I was not being you were a baby because of your age."

I saw her relax a bit. "Oh, sorry. I am used to the guys giving me shit about being my age and not going on as many missions has they had. This is the first time I have really been on my own and I am just gathering info."

"You will get your shot. Just give it time."

**Altair**

I lounged in the back of the cab. The driver did not ask any questions when I told him to follow the woman if from to us. Hell, for what I had paid him, he was smart not to open his mouth. I think what he had in his pocket paid for his rent for next four months. It didn't bother me. I hated driving in the city. The drivers on this damn island pissed me off too much for me to keep a cool head. That was why when I stayed here with Ezio, he did all the driving. I was not the nicest person behind the wheel.

The driver took a right turn and stayed near the Lexus, but far enough behind to not think she was being tailed. I would give the man props. He knew what he was doing. "You are good at this following people." I told him as I looked out the windshield from my place in the back.

I heard him chuckle. "You would not believe how many people I have followed over the years. Couples wanting to follow the other to see what they are doing behind each other back. Private investigators needing a place to hide while watching someone. You see it all as a cab driver."

"So it would seem." I watched her, Linda Pallus, pull up in front of a building and my driver pulled past her and stopped in front of a coffee shop. I was not worried about someone trying to claim the cab. The sign was off signaling he was not for hire.

Turning slightly, I looked out the back window and saw her hand the keys to the valet attendant. According to my information, she didn't live here. Her apartment was on seventeen blocks from here, but from the way the valet inclined his head to her, he knew her.

I thumbed through the file I had, but there was no mention of this place. What the hell was here? I turned to my driver. "I will be right back."

I grabbed the sports coat that I had borrowed from Ezio, threw it on, and got out of the cab. Heading to the valet, he was about to get into her car, when I called to him. He looked up from the driver's side, hand on the handle. "Can I help you?" He asked as he looked at me.

"I was wondering if you knew the woman that just walked in there." I stopped short of the car and looked at him.

He arched a brow and watched me carefully. "Can I ask who you are?"

I flashed my bounty hunters badge. That got his attention. "I am trying to find a guy that fled captivity a few days ago. A tip led me to the woman that walked inside. I was trying to find out if she lives here or not. I have her address a few blocks from here."

The boy shook his head. "No sir, she does not live here, but knows someone that does. I think it is her boyfriend. She comes over a few times a week, but never for more than a few hours. After that she leaves. She has never stayed the night. Not once in the five months she has been coming here."

That was interesting. "Thank you. Do not tell her I was here." I pulled a few bills from my pocket and handed them to the kid. "For your silence."

He took the money and looked down at it. "I will not breathe a word." He smiled and got into Pallus' car.

I headed back to the cab and the driver was standing on the curb, smoking a cigarette. He held out his pack. "Want one?"

I took one and lit it up. I had smoked a few times in my life. My thought was, like it was going to kill me. Through the sixties, I think I did every illegal drug out there. Those were the fun times. Ezio did the same. The bad thing was, with the way our bodies worked, we were fine a few hours later.

The smoke rolled from my mouth as I exhaled. "Thanks."

He nodded. "You looked like you could use it. I don't smoke in the cab and I was hoping you would stop so I could have one. I remember a time when I could and no one would complain. Now, it's like lighting one up in front of people, you are the Devil himself." He exhaled and ashed.

"I know what you mean." I kept an eye on the building. "My partner would yell at me every time I would light up in his car. I quit so I did not have to hear his mouth." Ezio had forbid me from smoking in his apartment, so I would go out onto the fire escape. Then he would yell because I opened the window in the middle of winter. After listening to it for so long, I sat the habit down. It was not worth it to hear his mouth.

"My wife keeps trying to get me to quit." He dropped the cigarette and put it out with the heel of his boot.

Alanna did not know I smoked, or used to. I don't know what her reaction would be to it. "Want to get some coffee? From what the kid said, she is in there for a few hours sometimes."

He shrugged. "Sure, why not."

We walked into the coffee house after I finished my smoke and ordered two black coffees. The woman behind the counter smiled, and handed them to us. I think she was used to getting orders for lattes and cappuccinos, but that was not for me. Give me normal coffee and I was good.

We headed back out and got back into the warm cab. The snow had stopped for now, but the ground was covered in white. I watched the front door from the back window, while the driver sat in his seat doing a word search puzzle.

An hour passed and Pallus walked out of the building. The kid retrieved her car, and she was off once more. We took off as well, but after she was already a block away.

Tailing her for another hour, I watched her just drive around. This woman's paranoia could give mine a run for the money. She passed her building three times and then finally, when she thought it was safe, she pulled up to her valet. We were parked in a garage across from her, up on the second floor. I watched her climb out and hand her keys to the man outside.

"Well, I think I am done tailing her. You are free to go." I looked at the man that had been driving me around for four hours.

"You sure? You don't need a lift somewhere else?" He sat on the hood of the cab and watched me.

I shook my head. "I will call my wife to get me. I am going to make sure she does not leave again for the night and then head home. Thanks for the lift."

He nodded and jumped down. "You need a driver again, look me up." Opening the car door, he got in, backed up and left.

I pulled out my phone and called Ezio. He answered. _'Got something for me?'_

"Linda Pallus has a boyfriend. She goes there a few times during the week. Stays no more than a few hours and then goes home. Watch out because she is paranoid and drives around until she thinks she is safe." I looked down at the street below. "You have anyone else in the city that needs to be watched?"

'_Nope. Alanna just checked in with Rebecca. She is going to check out her target's place. Desmond and Gwen are paired up right now, and I have not heard from Conner as of yet. I will give him another hour before I call him._ _Dawson, Hunter, Steve, Casey and Brett have all check in as well. They have eyes on their targets and have given the green light on their whereabouts.'_ I heard the strokes of a keyboard. He was at the computer.

"Good. Let me know if you do not hear from Conner. I will go down there personally to find him." I shifted the phone. That boy was too much of a lone wolf for his own good. He did good work, but did not like to play by the rules.

I heard him exhale_. 'Dawson is closer. I would send him before I sent you, but you and Alanna are next in line. I wish that boy would listen to simple instructions.'_

I knew what he meant. "Alright, keep me posted."

'_I will. See you when you get back here.'_

I hung up the phone and dialed Alanna's number. She picked up after four rings. _'I have a few minutes. What do you need?'_

"Wonderful greeting. Happy to hear from you as well." I rolled my eyes_. _

'_Sorry. I am about to pull up to McDaniels' place. He is still there with his buddies and I want to make sure I have all the info about this guy.'_

"I am done with my tail. Whenever you are ready, you can come get me." I began to walk through the garage towards the exit.

'_Give me a bit. I will come get you. Where are you at?'_ I gave her the address. _'Why don't you head my direction? His place is nine blocks away from there.'_

That sounded like a plan. I could watch out for her target while she did her snooping. "Okay. I will see you in a little bit."

The line went dead and I shook my head. This was turning out to be an interesting night.


	31. Chapter 31

**Conner**

I held my gun at ready, breath coming out in pants as my back was against the wall. I had been spotted and shots had been fired. Shaun was going to skin me alive when I got back. His poor little Prius was in ruin, and well, a smoking crater a half mile back.

Blood oozed from the wound I sustained when I personally blew up the car. A piece of shrapnel flew past my head, cutting into the tender flesh of my cheek as I ran like the hounds of Hell were biting at my heels. It had bought me enough time to get away, but not enough to get out of town.

Resting my head against the building, I tried to control my breathing and checked my ammo. I had three rounds left in the Springfield. I had lost the Glock when I dove over the rail of the bypass and ran. I had only one clip for it anyway, so it was not a huge loss.

"Come out, Assassin. I will make it a swift death." One of the men that had been on my ass yelled from behind his car.

At least they did not know who I really was. All they knew I was an assassin that was wanted by Abstergo. It couldn't be that large of a list, but I was on there. "Why don't you come back here and get me if you want me that bad."

I heard him chuckle. "I am not that stupid. I know you can kill me with anything. You can't be doing well on ammo."

Well at least he got that right. I had one clip left after the three bullets in this one. "Shit." I said out loud, but not loud enough for them to hear it. I was completely screwed if I could not get away.

A bullet ripped into the brick by my head, causing me to duck and spraying me with bits of red dust. "Just give up now." He yelled.

"Fuck off!" I pointed my gun around the corner, unloaded the three rounds and pulled back. Ejecting the clip, it bounced on the ground at my feet, and I loaded a fresh one. Cocking the pistol, I backed up against the wall once more.

Scanning my surrounding, I saw a few ways to get out of the hole I had dug myself into. The port was no more than few feet to my left, but the water could be no more than thirty degrees. I would freeze before I got anywhere, but I would come back. I could hightail it back to the main road, and pray that I come across a car I can hotwire. Both choices were not the best, but option C was to climb the building, run along it, dodge their bullets and hope I can hit them while I am running away. Then, when they are distracted, make my great escape. I was going to most likely get shot, fall in the water and freeze to death.

Taking a deep breath, I shoved the gun into the holster and began my assent. I had to take the higher ground. It was really the only chance I had at getting the hell out of here.

They had not noticed that I was above them yet, which worked for me. Lining up my first shot, I hit the middle guy and laid him on his back. With that I took off like The Flash. I should have just ran and not fired, but I wanted to at least take out one of them. One less to chase me.

I leapt off the end of the building and onto some shipping containers. Keeping the momentum going, I jumped from them to the top of a tractor trailer, then onto the concrete. I did not stop and I did not let up. I kept running until I felt like I was about to fall over, then I found some more energy.

I could not tell if it had been minutes or hours I had been running, but my lungs screamed at me, and my legs refused to work. I collapsed into a snow bank, and lay there, staring up at the night sky. I had no clue where I was, but I knew I was not in the city any longer. The stars were clearer and I could see the haze from the Milky Way.

Sitting up once I got my breath back, I saw a house in the distance, and my heart sank. I knew where I was at that moment in time. I was at the old homestead. Davenport's house. Where I learned so much, and where I had started this whole damn life.

I slowly made my way on jelly legs, over to the dilapidated house. I was surprised the state had not torn it down, but this far out it was not doing any harm, nor was it hurting anyone. The roof sagged in places and the windows were all but gone. Vandals had spray painted the sides of the old house and most likely the interior.

"Davenport would kill me where I stood if he could see how I let this place go to shit." I shook my head and stepped up onto the porch, using an old pillar to pull myself up. There were holes in the flooring and I carefully avoided them, but I heard the boards creak under my weight.

The front door was off the hinges and lying inside the foyer. I sighed and walked in. Animals had made their home here and so had vagrants. At least someone was getting some use out of the old house. I knew I should have come back years ago, but that wasn't me. I did not hold onto the past like the others. I moved forward, but for what? There was no end to what I was. No end to the violence that was what we were.

I took a seat on the hearth and looked at the ashes that stirred in the old pit. That last time I sat here was with Alanna the night before we left for parts unknown to me or to her.

**Davenport Homestead 1787**

Stirring the coals with the stick, I added another log onto the fire and watched it catch. I was still taking in everything that had been told to me by the mysterious woman that now sat in the chair not ten feet from me. Her eyes watched the snow fall out the window, but would watch me as well.

"Alanna, how have you lived like this for so many years?" The question slipped from my lips before I could think of what I was about to say.

Her gray eyes casted to the floor and then she looked over at me. "It has not been easy, Conner, I will not lie to you. There have been times that the loneliness of the passing years weighs on your shoulders heavily and it feels that no matter what you do, you cannot escape the pain. I have been alone now for many years." Her eyes drifted closed and I heard the slightest sigh escape her parted lips.

"You told me when I first awoke to this life that there are others like us. Where are they?" I turned on the hearth to fully watch her.

"For that, I have not an answer. We parted ways in 1744. I have not seen them since." She shook her head, and a tear rolled down her cheek. It splashed on the wooden floor without a sound. "I would like to know where they are, but I made a vow when I left that I would not look for them. If fate means for us to be together, they will send me a sign."

She hid her secrets well. "Who are they?" I asked.

"My master when I was mortal and a friend I guess you could say. You need not know their names at this time. You are far too young to know who they are. If something was to happen to you and the Templars take you, names are powerful things. Telling you my real name was dangerous, but necessary. They knew who I was in life. Well, slightly, but they would draw the line to the others. In time I will tell you, but not today." She stood and walked to the window. "When the time comes, you will meet them, but until then, please understand I am doing this to protect you, myself, and them."

I nodded my head. "I will trust you for now."

"Thank you." She smiled at me. "Now, what will you do with this place?" She gestured to the house around us.

"Leave it behind, I guess. I will not need it any longer." I stood and walked over to her. "Why do you ask?"

"We all keep something from our past, Conner. It is our ground. It lets us know where we come from." Pulling the knife she hid on her, she held it out. "This was my father's. He died when I was just ten years of age. It is the only thing I have of home, but I would never part with it."

The dagger was slightly curved. The firelight played off the dark metal that it was made from. "I have never seen such dark steel."

Alanna smiled and re-sheathed the blade. "It is forged from Damascus steel. It is from my homeland. Strong like my people."

"But why hold onto a house? Fire could destroy it. Nature could claim it back. It does not make sense." I did not understand what she was meaning.

Her eyes rolled heavenward and then back to my face. "Conner, this is where you learned what you are, correct?" I nodded. "This place is you. This place, this house, is a piece of you as much as you are a piece of it. Do not let go of it so lightly."

**Present**

Birds rustled in the rafters as I leaned against the cold stone of the fireplace. Alanna had told me many years ago that we all needed a ground. Something or somewhere to call home. For her, it was her father's dagger. Ezio had the picture he carried of Jenna and Marcus, but I knew about the other things in Italy. For Altair, it was Alanna. Desmond did not have anything that I knew of, and I did not have anything for my past except for this place.

Maybe that was why I ended up here. I shook the thoughts out of my head. I was not one to dwell in the past. I did not think about where I came from. That was long gone and dead. Best to just leave it there.

Knowing that I had to get a move on, I stood up. My legs were still weak, so I just sat back down. I needed more time to get my strength back up. Pulling out my phone, I opened and growled. It was completely dead.

"Well, looks like I don't get to call for back up." Putting it away, I decided my best course of action was to start a fire and wait until I had more strength.

**Dawson**

"Yeah, he's not in the city anymore, Becca." I looked around at the crime scene. "Yeah, tell Shaun that his car is gone."

'_You mean he ran off with it?'_ Rebecca asked.

"No, I mean it is gone, gone. Like in Conner blew it up." I sighed and walked back over to where Alanna had parked the GTO. "We are going to drive around a bit and try to find what happened to him. I will call you back when we find anything."

'_Be safe Dawson.' _

"I will." I hung up the phone and Alanna rolled down the driver's window.

"So?" She asked. She had elected to stay in the car in case someone saw her. If they spotted Conner, and knew who he was, then they would know her.

"The hole in the ground over there was the Prius." I got in the passenger's side and shut the door. "From the noise the cops are making, there was a shooting at the docks about twenty minutes after this explosion."

"Sounds like Conner, but I hope it wasn't him." She put the car into gear and drove off. "Why hasn't he called yet? Damn him and the lone wolf crap. I am going to strangle him when I get ahold of him."

I heard her sigh. I knew they were close. Brother and sister close. "So, what's up between you two?"

She glanced at me. "Conner was the one I took under my wing. I have known him since he was very small. A few of his people found me after I had dug myself out of the grave the Brotherhood had put me in after the disastrous fight when Haytham turned on us. That was his father. I did not know at the time that Conner, or rather he was called Ratonhnhak;ton at that time. I knew he was special, but I did not know how."

She turned a corner and drove towards the edge of the city. "You were there when he found out, right?" I asked. I had heard she had worked with all of them before and after the immortality.

"Yes. The night he fell, I had heard that there was an ambush set for the assassins. I didn't know what group, so I followed Conner to make sure he was alright. I knew his grandfather. He was the one that brought me over from England. Haytham was no more than a boy at the time. Anyway, I helped Conner come to grips with his immortality. He has always been the lone wolf. Never forming attachments. I think this is the longest I have seen him stay with a group since he was mortal."

I watched the road pass us by. "So where do you think he would have gone to?" I did not know Conner. That was why they sent Alanna with me. She knew him better than anyone else left in the world.

"There is only one place I think he might go, but I don't even know if the damn place is still standing. I have not been back there since we left this area in 1787." Pointing the car towards the river, we drove out of the city and as the road narrowed, she turned off onto a dirt path. "I am going to kill him for this."

Bringing the car to a stop at the wood line, she set the emergency brake and killed the engine. "Where are we?"

"Well, we are about a mile from where he might go, but there is no way to get the car there." Alanna got out of the car and walked to the trunk. "Arm yourself. I do not know what we come across, or who."

Grabbing weapons, we armed ourselves and to walk. "Can I ask you a question? And do not take this the wrong way, but how did it work out that you knew everyone before they became immortal? Does everything circle around you?"

That had been the topic of debate for some time now. Alanna's steps faltered, but she corrected herself quickly. "I have asked myself that in the past. I mean, I know Altair because he found me, and brought me into the fold. Ezio, at first, was a chance encounter. I met his uncle first then I met him. I made a promise to Mario to watch out for Ezio until he could stand on his own two feet. Make sure his revenge did not consume him. I failed there.

"Conner was also a chance encounter. Had I not been found by his people, I would not have met him. Desmond you know about. You were there when I was given the mission." She vaulted over a fallen tree.

I had been there because I was supposed to go with her, until Sebastian put a stop to that. There had always been a few men that were loyal to Alanna. Some that she had worked with and some that she trained. I was one that she found and recruited. "Now, if you can remember, why didn't you take over when Sebastian came out as a Templar?"

Turning her head, she smiled. "Now why would I do that? I am no leader. I never have been. I don't crave power, or go looking for it. It is not my place to be that. Besides, that would have ousted me faster than anything."

We continued to walk. When we came up to the top of a small hill, which was when I saw it. A run down house in the middle of a field. "That is it?"

"That would be Davenport's old homestead. The land is deeded to someone that I don't know, or remember. I think it is deeded to me because he up and left and wanted nothing to do with it. I knew one day he would regret that." She shook her head and I followed behind her.

Coming up on the house, she called out to him. Not by Conner, but by his Mohawk name. He was there because he called back to her and his head came out a window. "So, what made you think to come here?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "Why did you not call? We have been worried sick as to what happened to you. I thought they had captured your ass. Now, I am going to beat it when you get out here."

Conner laughed and jumped to the ground, holding up his hands while he walked over to us. "My phone is dead, and I was not about to go back into the city. Not with them looking for me."

Alanna raised her fist, growled and dropped it again. "Damn you. I want to hit you, I really do, but I'm not going to. You had all of us worried, you ass."

He walked over to her and wrapped her in a hug. "I'm sorry, Al, I really am."

Now that the reunion was over, I looked over at the land. "So what do we do from here?"

"We need to take out Lawrence McDaniels before he can go underground. I know we were supposed to wait, but this may be our only chance to get him." Conner still had his arm around Alanna's shoulder. "What do you say? You two up for an assassination, the old fashion way?"

*/*/*/*/*/*/*

I lay on my stomach on the parking garage roof and watched McDaniels out of the scope of my gun. "Al, he's coming up on your six. Conner, you had better be ready."

I saw Alanna step out of the alley she had been in. Dressed in a business suit, Alanna walked past him and 'accidentally' bumped into him. Conner was around corner, gun and silencer ready. I was up here just in case something went south and he needed to be taken out right then and there.

Papers went flying as they collided. Alanna bent down and started to grab them, and McDaniels did the same. When a few of the papers flew past the alley, he went after them and I saw Conner grab him. 'Got him, Dawson. Get down here so we can move.'

Alanna threw the papers in the trash and I began to disassemble the rifle. When I had it in the duffle and met up with them, Conner was sitting on the trunk. "Where did you put him?"

He patted the trunk. "We have to dump the body somewhere they will not see it right away. There are too many people we have to kill and if we leave the body here, that will put everyone else on alert."

Alanna had ditched the jacket. "I am not thrilled to have a body in the trunk, but I understand. Let's roll and get back to the others."

I nodded in agreement. We had too much to do and not enough time to do it.

**It was a hard choice to put this chapter up with the events that happened with the Boston Marathon over the weekend. I rewrote this chapter twice over the weekend and then when I finished it, I had not heard about the bombing yet. I waited and tried to think of a way to rewrite it once more, but I could not, so I toned down the first scene. There were more explosions and more shootings, but I rewrote it to one of each. I could not do that with the first part taking place in Boston. My heart goes out to all affected by this horrid tragedy. **

_*Sassiersphinx*_


	32. Chapter 32

The assassinations of our targets went off as planned, and as was the buying of Abstergo's stocks. It was all coming together well. The last stage was fast approaching, and o was not all that thrilled with it. The infiltration of Abstergo herself and the destruction of the men that ran her. Everyone knew that this would not destroy them, but set them back many years. Enough to get our numbers back up and be able to combat them on equal footing. But, in the backs of our mind, did that mean the end of us?

We were created to stop the Templars from taking over the world, and if we pulled this off, did that mean we had done our job? What would happen to us? Would we just fade away, or begin to age? Actually have a life for once, or we would go back to sleep. To awaken when the time was right. I wasn't overly fond of that course of thinking. I had done the whole sleep thing, and I did not want to go there again. One night, while the rest of the house slept, the five of us sat on the roof of Shaun's house, looking up at the stars.

"Are you guys ready for this?" I asked not moving my head.

A chorus of no's were my answer. I was right there with them. I did not know what was to happen after this final confrontation. That was why none of us could sleep. First it was me and Altair up here, then Ezio joined us a few minutes later. Desmond came out soon after with Conner hot on his heels.

"What do you thinks going to happen to us, Ezio?" Desmond turned his head and looked at the Italian.

Ezio shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, many things could happen and none of them save for one, sound appealing."

I propped myself up on my elbows. "And what's the one thing?"

His eyes stayed on the bright stars. "We stay the same."

"I don't think anything will change. I mean, we are not completely destroying them. We are just putting them down for a while. They are too massive to actually be taken completely out." Conner looked over at us. "It would take a miracle to destroy them."

Looking over at Altair, who was being quiet. "What is your take on this?"

I heard him sigh and he sat up. "I don't have a take on it. I mean, we could go on the way we are, or we could be stripped of our immortality. We could go to sleep, or just die. I don't know, and thinking about it will not change what will come. Best not dwell on the things that are to come."

The four of us looked over at him. "You don't even want to give it a thought?" Desmond asked.

He shook his head. "Nope, and I would advise the lot of you to drop it as well. If it is on your mind in the coming battle, it will lead to distraction and ultimate failure of the mission. We have worked hard to get where we are now. You don't need to jeopardize that on something that may or may not happen." With that being said, he stood, walked to the edge of the house, and jumped off.

That left the four of us sitting there, scratching our heads. I had not seen him like that in a long time. "Does anyone know who that was; because it don't think that was Altair." Conner looked at the rest of us.

"That was the more focused assassin that he has tried to suppress. That was how he was when we were mortal. Cold, calculating, detached, and focused on the mission ahead." I stood and sighed. "I think we should try and get some sleep. Morning is going to come if we want it to or not. Best be at the top of our game." I followed Altair off the roof and back to my bed.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Everyone rose with the morning sun, and donned their garb for the day. It was day that we had been planning out for weeks now. The infiltration of Abstergo and the destruction of the Templars. I was a complete nervous wreck, but as I looked at all the faces that were standing with us, I knew I had to calm down and breathe. They were taking the same risks as I was.

Shaun walked in, and looked from one person to another. "I want to thank all of you for going along with this plan. It has come together better than anyone had hoped. The last part will start in a few hours. Three teams of four will be needed. You decide between yourselves on who will lead the teams and who will be on them."

Ezio and Altair looked at each other. They would each lead a team and Conner would lead the other. I leaned against a wall until I heard someone call my name. I looked over at the group. "Who am I with?" I asked.

"Conner. It would not be wise for you to be with me, because all I will do is try and watch out for you and not do my job as leader." Altair walked over to me.

I nodded because I understood his line of thinking. "So it's Eric, Des, Hunter, and Gwen. Allen, Rebecca, Brett, and Casey on the second team, and then Conner, myself, Steve and Dawson."

"You are correct. Each team has stealth, a sniper, and a brute. They are well rounded and each person can fill in where another falls behind on." Ezio looked at Dawson, Rebecca, and Hunter, the three snipers. "Well, except you three. You will have the good guns and be watching their backs."

Dawson walked over to the edge of the edge of the kitchen where his duffel was sitting. "Good thing I finished these up a few days ago." He began to assemble three rifles. "The best of the best. Accurate as all hell and can pick off someone from a mile away. Little to no sound or flash. Modified to the hilt and all that jazz. Shaun could shoot this thing and make it a headshot."

"So it's idiot proof?" Kim asked with a smile towards her husband.

That earned her a glare from the Brit. "Very funny, Kim, and I know how to use a gun. I just choose not to."

I took a step forward and my head became foggy, like I had too much wine. I grabbed the back of a chair to prevent myself from pitching forward. All eyes turned to me. "Isabella, are you alright?" I heard a voice to my left, but I could not make out who it was.

Swallowing the bile that was creeping up in my throat. "Ye…yeah, I'm fine. Just got dizzy for a moment." What was going on?

I felt strong arms grab below my arms, and pull me into a standing position. "You are not fine. Look at me." It was Ezio, but my vision was blurred. I couldn't focus my eyes on anything.

Trying to fake it, I let my ears follow the sounds of his voice, and a blur entered my eyes' path. "I'm fine." I growled and swallowed again. The urge to throw up was getting harder to ignore.

"You are not fine. You are not even looking at me." I heard him on the other side of my body. Who was I looking at then? "Conner, Des, get her to her room. Something is seriously wrong here." Ezio hand rested on my forehead. "You're burning up!"

I pulled out of his hands and stumbled backwards. More hands went for me, but I barely dodged them in my current state. "I am not going anywhere with any of you." The words sounded strange in my own ears. A language that I had not used in a long time, I had no time to dwell on that. I had to get away. I had to get back to the fortress. My blades slid out, and I knew I would have to fight my way through the people who wanted to do me harm and snuff out the fire that was my life.

**Altair**

I watched the twin silver blades slide from Alanna's wrists. The words that came from her mouth were Arabic, but not the form that was spoken today. It was from our time. Another memory resurfacing? I did not know, but I had to prevent her from either hurting someone, or exposing us.

So I called to her. She growled and told me that was not her name. Asked who I was, but I could not tell her that. Not with a room full of assassins that did not know we still lived. So I tried a different tactic. Turning to Ezio, Desmond and Conner, they knew something was about to go down.

Alanna lunged at the nearest person to her, and that was Casey. The girl fell to the floor before the blade reached her. "Get everyone out of here. She's swinging blind."

More Arabic poured from her mouth as she lurched forward. She was talking about an ambush she had been part of when we found out about the Templar attack. I watched her as everyone filed out. As quietly as I could, I crept up behind her. "Alanna, tis me, Altair. You must stand down. You are in no danger any longer."

"Alt…Altair? What have they done to me?" The words were Russian now. She attempted to turn, but her knees buckled. I caught her before she hit the floor. "Everything is warped. Something's wrong with…" Her head fell backwards and her eyes rolled up into her head. Her body went limp and fear began to set into my soul.

"Eric!" I called for Ezio, and he came running. I held her in my arms, and watched the sweat bead on her brow. What was going on?

He walked up in front of us, and laid a hand in her brow. "She's burning up, and I mean, burning up." He retracted his hand. "Get her upstairs."

I nodded and turned to go to the room we shared. I watched her the whole time. Her face contorted and a moan escaped her lips. I had a feeling deep in the pit of my stomach. There was not something normal about this. We were not mortal; I knew that, but this? This was not something that had happened before.

I reached the room and laid her gently on the bed. Taking her equipment off of her, I laid it on the dresser. Once that was done, I pulled a chair up to her side. "Come on, 'lanna."

She did not stir, nor make a sound. I was beginning to worry. Taking her hand, I felt how her skin was like standing to close to an open flame. It was getting hotter by the minute. Ezio took that time to walk in. I looked at him, feeling completely helpless.

He just shook his head, and sat down on the other side of the bed. Placing a cold rag on her forehead, he checked her vitals, checked her temperature, and sighed. "Her temp is climbing. I don't know what the hell is going on. I have never seen any of us do this."

I met his eyes, and I could see something in there that I did not want to see. "You want to put her to sleep, don't you?" I asked.

He nodded. "It's the only way I know how to combat this. I will put it in easier terms. With the fever getting higher, it's pretty much turning her brain to mush. She will start having worse hallucinations, and eventually, she will burn out. None of us have done this before, so I don't know how this happened."

I turned my gaze back to her face. Her mouth opened and an ear piercing scream erupted from her. My hands instinctively covered my sensitive ears. Ezio did the same. Her eyes shot open and a fist connected with the side of my jaw.

I fell out of the chair and narrowly avoided the nightstand. "Alanna!" I yelled and went to grab her, but she slipped from my grasp. Ezio tackled her against the bedroom wall, and her teeth went for his neck.

He held her there, barely missing the teeth that aimed for anything they could sink themselves into. She was acting like a rabid animal. "A little help, please!"

I ran over and tried to grab her again, but her teeth sunk into the flesh of my hand. I pulled it back, shocked, and watched the blood drip from the wound. "What the hell is wrong with her?"

Alanna went to slam her head into Ezio's nose, but he turned and she slammed her head into his shoulder. "I have not a clue, but if you don't stop her, I am going to hurt her!"

I did the only thing I could think of at the time. I grabbed her by the long braid she wore and pulled her head back into a horrid angle. If anyone was to see how far her head was back, they would think I had broken her neck. Strangled noises came from her throat as she tried to growl or yell or hell, make any sound. But I held her fast. I could not let her do anymore damage to anyone else.

"Alanna, you need to get control of yourself. You need to calm down." I spoke to her in a calm and even tone. I did not want to yell at her. She was not in her right mind at the moment.

More strangled noised emitted from her bent throat and I could only take them for growls. What was going on and why all of the sudden was she acting this way?

I turned my attention to Ezio, who still had her pinned to the walls, arms at her side. "Do you have her?" He nodded and I released some of the pressure from the braid, letting her head come up a bit. "Now, can you hear me?"

Her eyes darted to the side and looked at me. I wanted to back away at the sight of them. Wide and completely unfocused. She was not in her right mind and that was putting it mildly. "Yes." She grinned wickedly and jerked her head again. I would not give her another inch.

"What year is it?" I asked in Arabic. I had to see if this was a flashback or a complete hallucination.

"Go to hell." The grin stayed on her face, but I tell something was going on in that head of hers.

Grabbing her chin, I released the braid. "Answer me, woman."

The she did something that I was not prepared for. She laughed. An evil, make your hairs stand on end, laugh that chilled me to the bone. "Go to hell."

Reaching down, I grabbed my gun, withdrew it, and wiped her across the face with it. Immediately, she went slack in Ezio's arms. "I need answers."

Ezio placed her into the bed. "You do know that is not going to keep her out long." He stood up and looked over at where I was standing.

I nodded and head for the door. "I know, but it might buy us enough time to talk to Rebecca and Shaun. I need to know more about the Bleeding Effect and it has on its subjects."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

"You want to know what?" Rebecca asked as she huddled in her jacket.

We had to talk outside because I did not want anyone that was not in our little circle to hear what was being said. Conner and Kate had volunteered to sit upstairs and watch her as Ezio and I talked to Rebecca and Shaun. "I need to know about the Bleeding Effect."

Shaun breathed into his hand then rubbed them together, trying in vain to stave off the chill that was setting in. "I thought the whole immortality thing stopped that from happening?" He asked looking from me to the Italian.

Ezio shrugged. "Yeah it stopped Desmond's, but the issue is he was not immortal when it first started. That was why his has ceased. Now, if we were to strip him of that, he would start to bleed once more. It is our thinking that she is experiencing the Bleed, but on a far larger scale. Could that be the case?"

Rebecca began to pace and then looked at me. "I'm not sure. I mean, from the way she lost it in the meeting, to the way you two say she was acting when she was upstairs, it sounds like a classic case. But guys, she has not been in an Animus in years. Why would it start happening now?"

"Alanna had always been good at hiding things, and I mean really good. Who's to say that this is the first time this has happened? She had had nightmares, but she has told me they are from things she remembers from the past." I lowered my head, and watched the snowflakes blend into the already white ground. "Could those nightmares have been a precursor to this?"

Shaun thought about it for a moment. I could see the gears in his head turning. "It could have been, but there have been no studies done on you guys and the effects of a long term exposure in the Animus. And it's not like Abstergo kept records of their time with her. I mean, what we know are the things that she can remember, and those are far and few between.

"But from everything you have said, I would say yes. It does sound like a case of the Bleeding Effect at its worst. I'm sorry, but from here on out, she can no longer be an assassin until we can get this figure out." He sighed and looked me in the eye.

And that was what I did not want to hear. Alanna, the one woman that had been put through hell and came out the other side, was a danger to everything we stood for.

**Sorry for the delay. I really have lost my muse. I don't know what it is, but it has taken me nearly a month to get this out. I have had no ideas what so ever. But on a side note, I bought Assassin's Creed III and already beat it. It took only a week. Now I am going back for the completion. **


	33. Chapter 33

I listened to my guards as I faked sleep. About every fifteen minutes the door would open, and someone would poke their head in, see that I was still asleep and the door would shut. I was waiting until I heard the door once more, then I was making my move.

Altair had taken my equipment from the room, but I was not worried about that. There was a Glock in the truck of the GTO and a knife. If they did not take that, I was would be fine, but don't think they would that far. Sure, I was a bit off my rocker at this point in time. My head felt like it weighted a few tons, but I had to get to Abstergo. Something called me to there, something I could not explain.

I heard the door open, then close once more. This was my chance! I threw the covers off of my body and walked quietly to the window. Sliding it up, I stuck my head out it and looked down. Quickly, I jumped to the ground, rolled and sprinted around the house. The GTO in sight and I slid to a stop at the edge of the garage. Shaun was at the front door getting some takeout food.

Once I heard the front door shut, I slid down the icy driveway, and got in the car. Pulling the keys from my pocket, I jammed them into the ignition, stepped on the clutch and let the car roll onto the street. I wanted to be ready to take off when the car started, because the beast was loud and would alert them I was leaving.

The car was in position. Good and I turned the key. The motor fired up and I took off like the hounds of Hell were chasing me. I mentally thanked Conner for destroying Shaun's car. They could not give chase now.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

The guard dropped as I walked into the room. Vidic just looked up from his computer screen and sighed. "I thought you would have been back by now."

Leveling the gun to his head, I glared at him. "What did you do to me? I want the truth!" My head was killing me, and I wanted it to end. I growled at him, feeling my lip curl into a feral grin. My finger itching to pull the trigger and rid the world of this Templar trash once and for all. But the man had the answers I needed.

He shook his head. "Do you really want the truth? I don't think you are ready to hear it." He smiled and laid his hands on the desk in front of him. "We took every precaution to ensure that nothing would be wasted. The same scars, the same eyes. Everything was perfect, until the memories were too much, and you began to think you were her."

I blinked at him. What the hell was he saying? I heard the door open, and two sets of shoes on the tiled floor. "Clarify what you just said, Vidic." I knew that voice and turned my head just enough to see Altair and Ezio walk into the room. His gun trained on me, and Ezio's was on Vidic.

The older man chuckled. "You believe this… this _creation_ is the real Alanna? She is nothing more than a doppelgänger. A complete copy to mimic the real one. Her real name is Samantha Lowe." He looked right at me. "Oh, it was a challenge to find someone who sounded just like Ms. Dowd, but in the end, you see the result. A perfect copy, but the sad thing is, we could not recreate one thing, and that was the immortality you gentlemen possess."

"I heal. I have been shot!" I yelled at him. "I am just like them."

Again, he shook his head. "How do you think our men take so much from you assassins? Many years ago we created a concoction to give our men in the field that would increase their body's own ability to heal. It is a one-time thing. You must take more to stay that way."

I had enough. "You lie!" I screamed at him. "What did you do to me?"

Vidic gave me his famous viper smile. "Created you anew, Samantha. Gave you Alanna's memories, personality, while the whole time she has been safely here in this building, kept under our watchful observation. You, Ms. Lowe, are nothing more than her very expensive knockoff."

Hitting a few keystrokes, he turned the moniter to show us. My eyes widened. There I was, laid out on a bed, tubes in my arms. "This…this can't be real! I am Alanna. I am the real one!" The gun shook in my hand. I wanted to end his lies and kill him now, but Altair reached over and took it from me.

Vidic shook his head and tsked. "I am sorry to say, but you are not. You may sound like her, act like her, have her memories, but you are not her."

Altair stepped closer to the man, until he was right in front of the desk. "Take us to her. I want to see her in person and not through a computer monitor."

My hands shook, and I looked down at them. Was he really telling the truth? Was I really someone else with her memories in my head?

Standing, the Templar looked at us. "Very well, but don't think you are getting out of here alive. Back up is on its way and you will not get past them." He started for the door.

I was rooted to the place I was. My mind would not work, and in turn, neither would my body. I did not want to believe this. I could not believe this. A hand rested on my shoulder. "We will get to the bottom of this. I assure you." Ezio gave a small smile, and lead me out of the room.

Vidic led us down the gray corridors of Abstergo to a bank of elevators. After swiping his badge and hitting the button for the nineteenth floor, I felt the car ascend. As I heard the chiming for every floor we past, my nerves jumped. He had to be lying, because that was all they ever did. They lied to get their way. They lied to the people, and they would lie to cover this up.

I shook as the elevator made its final climb to the floor we needed to be on. The last ding startled me and I moved sideways into Altair, whose face was blank when he looked down at me. I was not his Alanna, and I felt my heart break.

We followed Vidic down the hall and finally coming to a door labeled restricted. His swiped his badge once more and the door opened with a hiss. I stood there, not ready to face whatever was in the room. I knew that once I saw it, there would be no turning back.

"Oh don't be shy, Ms. Lowe. She is a fine specimen, but looking at you now, I believe you hold the prize for the finest by far." I could hear his words, but I chose to ignore him. He was not helping my nerves at this time.

Taking a few tentative steps into the muted light, I looked down at the woman in the bed. It was like looking into a mirror, only she was the real one, and I was merely the reflection. I was the freak they created to be her, and act like her. To become her to destroy the men that I now called brothers, family, and husband.

Looking back at Altair, he still had not moved from the spot at the door. His face unreadable. This was his Alanna. This was his wife. My heart completely broke there. Shattering in my chest, and I did not know if I would ever fix it once more.

Ezio came up to my right, a gentle arm wrapped around me. Tears began to fall from my eyes, her eyes, or were they mine? I was not sure about anything anymore. "It's all been a lie. Everything that I have come to know. Everything that I have become, remembered. It was all her memories. I don't even know who I am."

I felt him pull me a little closer. "We will get through this. We have a start. Vidic said you name was Samantha Lowe. I'm sure Rebecca can work with that."

My tears became sobs, and my world spiraled out of control. Vidic was right. I was not ready for this. I would never have been ready for this.

**Ezio**

And so, everything that set out to do had been done. Abstergo completely under our control and the Templars disposed. Desmond took the honors of getting rid of Vidic. The man owed the boy far more than any of us. As for Samantha/Alanna, that remains to be seen. She had completely shut down before we left, not talking to anyone. The shock to learn that she was not who she thought she was had taken a toll on her already fragile mind.

Altair avoided her when we got back to Shaun's, preferring to stay in the bedroom waiting for the real Alanna to awaken from her twelve year slumber. Kate stayed with Samantha and helped her cope. My heart went out to her. I wish I could rewrite the wrongs that had been dealt to her.

Standing in the den with Desmond, Conner, Shaun, Rebecca, Kim, and Dawson, I shook my head. "Where do we go from here? I mean, there is a girl in there that is completely and utterly broken, and one of us upstairs who is still in a coma. This is something I have never had to deal with."

Rebecca grabbed a folder from the desk. "This is what I could find on Samantha. Her resemblance to Alanna is undeniable. They are related though. Her line is from Alanna's father's side. Her great aunt. She was a secretary for Abstergo's office in Savannah, Georgia. That is where her family still lives. They believe she died in an accident ten years ago."

"A year after they found Alanna." Shaun sat down at his desk. "I don't know how to fix this. We could put her back into the Animus; find out how much of Samantha still exists."

Shaking her head, Rebecca countered. "That won't work. There is too many of Alanna's memories in her head as it is. If we try and put her back in there, all that is going to happen is we scrabble her mind up more. Cause her bleed more into Alanna."

"What about the sync nexus that I used to get past my bleeds of Ezio and Altair? Do you think that would work?" Desmond looked to the two of them. "I mean, I stopped being them."

"You had Clay there to guide you. That would not work for her either. I mean, they did a hell of a job on her. Basically, they stripped her of everything she was, threw her into an Animus and let it all happen." Rebecca sighed.

I listened to them the whole time, trying to make sense of everything, but I was not. "So what you are saying is she really has become Alanna. But what started her to go nuts like she did?" That was the part I was trying to figure out.

"Yes and no. She is Alanna, but at the same time, Samantha is still there. I mean, you all have said it; she has a softer side than Alanna ever did. I think that is where we see the real one. Their personalities have blended to make one." The dark haired woman turned her blue eyes on me. "As for the flip out, I can only think that was the Bleeding Effect. Too many memories are coming up. Some are hers and some are Alanna's. They are trying to blend where they can't."

Now I was very confused. I wish they had a manual on Animus speak because I was not really catching a bit of it. I think Conner was catching on to the confused expressions that were crossing my face, because he spoke up next. "I think what we are all trying to get at is. Is there any way to fix her?"

Rebecca and Shaun looked from each other, then to him and the rest of us. "Don't know. There have been cases in the past that the subject has stopped bleeding and regained their own personality, but it is very rare, and they did not go through what she went through. They did not live nearly ten years as their ancestor." Shaun looked around the room. "We will keep working on it, but as of right now, have her look at the file. Maybe it might jog something in her."

I took it from Rebecca and we left the room. Walking into the living room, I found Samantha sitting on the couch, knees in her chest. "Samantha?" I called out to her, letting her know I was in the room.

Slowly she turned and looked at me, her gray eyes red and puffy. "Hey Ezio." She answered softly.

Joining her on the couch, I looked at her. "I think you might enjoy this." I handed her the file and she sat her bare feet on the floor. "It's who you were before they got ahold of you."

She told it gently and sat it on her lap. "Why was I chosen?" She met my eyes and sighed.

"You and Alanna are related, although distant. As you can tell, you look just like her, and that was why they chose you. It was enough to fool everyone that has known her for years." I was not going to lie to her. She has had enough of that.

Samantha's head dropped and I heard a soft sigh escape her lips. "Even fooled Altair and he is hard to fool sometimes." That was Alanna's knowledge of the Arab coming out.

I felt bad for her. "Even Altair." Reaching for her hand, I gave it a light squeeze. "Give it time, Samantha. He is still processing all of this, just as we all are. In one day he has found out that the woman he was in love with was not the woman he thought she was, and he found that woman in a medically induced coma. That is a bit to take in at once."

Her head shot up, tears coming from her eyes. "I didn't ask for this! I didn't want to be used like some experiment. I just want to be normal again. To be who I used to be. Will that even happen?"

"I am not going to sugar coat it. None of us know. You have been Alanna for so long that we don't know if you will ever go back to being Samantha." I wiped the tears from her face with my thumbs. "You must take it easy. It will be a long road, but all of us will be here to help you. We are not going to walk away now."

Her eyes widened at what I just said. "You are not going to just throw me away?" I shook my head. "I…I thought that since you guys had the real Alanna back, you would just throw me to the wolves."

I had to laugh at that. "No, we would never do that. You are as much a victim in Abstergo's schemes as Alanna was. You may not be her, but you are now part of this family. We never abandon our own."

Her smile said it all. "Thank you Ezio. That means a lot."

I returned the smile. "But, you cannot tell anyone about us. Not your family, friends, anyone."

"I know. I have been living as Alanna for the past nine years. I think I know how to keep my mouth shut." Samantha gave me a lopsided smile. "Now, will you sit here with me while I go through this? I am terrified at what I am going to find."

"Of course."

**Alanna**

The fog lifted from my mind. I was alive? How? Abstergo had found me, shot me, did things to me, and then nothing. I felt nothing, remembered nothing. It was as if I had been asleep. A peaceful slumber. Now, I felt myself drifting out of that sleep.

I heard my name being called. I knew that voice. A voice I had last heard say my name at the exit of the building I thought would have been my grave. Altair was there, and he was calling my name.

I struggled to get my eyes to open, but they would not respond. My hands, feet, and limps were all the same. Did they do something to me? I tried again, and again, and every time I failed. I wanted to scream, but I knew, that too, would not work. And so, I gave it some time. Just floating right inside of my mind, thinking about what I would do next.

A long vacation. Somewhere warm and sunny. A beach with a drink with one of those little cocktail umbrellas, or a walk down Bourbon Street in New Orleans. I had not been there in ages. It sounded like a great plan. Wake up, get caught up on everything I have missed in the few years I have been gone, and then hell, I could do both. I wanted to do both. Go back, get the Mustang and go for a cross country cruise while I was at it. I was immortal. I could do it all.

"Alanna, come back to me, please."

It was Altair again, and it sounded closer. So I tried to move again, and it worked. My eyes slowly opened, and shut once more. The light was so bright! Oh dear Lord, it was like looking to the sun! I tried again, and this time, it wasn't as bad, but was still brighter than I would prefer.

"Hey there."

I turned my head to see the most beautiful set of amber eyes I had missed so much. "Hey yourself." It sounded like I had been gargling glass for several hours. I cleared my dry throat. "You have anything to drink?"

Grabbing a bottle of water from the nightstand, he opened it and helped me to sitting position. I took a sip and began to feel a lot better. "You look worried." I reached for his hand after he sat the water back on the stand.

"I was. I thought you would never wake up. They had you sedated pretty heavily." He gave me a small smile.

"I guess trying to escape is kind of why they did that to me. Killed three guards just getting out of the room they held me in one time. The second time they just shot me and dragged me back. I am guessing that was when they started to drug me." I shrugged. "Anyway, where am I?"

I looked around the room, not recognizing anything that I saw. "You are at Shaun and Kim's house in New Jersey." He answered.

That threw me for a loop. "Who the hell is Kim? And have I met her before?"

He shook his head. "No, you have not met her. She is Shaun's wife. Been married a few years now."

I was getting the feeling there was a lot of things that I had missed. "How long have I been gone?" I needed to know that right away.

"Going on thirteen years. You have been with Abstergo for almost eleven years.' He took my hand. "If I had known, I would have beaten down the doors myself, and killed everyone in the way. We just found you last night when we did the final raid on the company."

He was not telling me everything. The man may be able to hide things from other people, but not from me. "Spill it, Altair. Don't beat around the bush and try to hide shit from me. It annoys me more than you walking away or calling me 'woman'." I gave him a half-hearted glare.

That made him laugh. "That is definitely you." Then the smile faded and I knew something was about to come out that I was not going to like. "Where should I start? I know. It started two and a half years ago in Colorado…"

**Bet none of you guys out there in cyberland saw that one coming! Yes, Alanna is really Samantha and the real Alanna has been in a medically induced coma for years. Everything will be completely explained in the next chapter. I am almost finished. A few more things to clear up and tie a ribbon around, then I will be done. See you next chapter.**

_*SassierSphinx*_


	34. Chapter 34

**Samantha**

I went through the file they had on me a few times, each time uncovering something new. I was not surprised at what I found. My family thought I was dead, so I had no one except for the people that were in this house. The other assassins had all gone home, but I could not leave. I had no home to return to.

And now I had to deal with the fallout of Altair. He would watch me when he thought I was not looking, trying to figure out if I was his Alanna or Samantha. I guess since Alanna was here, I was Samantha. I had asked Kate to help me cut my hair and dye it. I pulled in the blue contacts and ran a brush through my auburn hair. That should make a little change in who I was.

Alanna had come downstairs a few times in the last day or so. The first time she saw me was before the changes I had done, she crossed her arms over her chest, looked me up and down, and nodded. "Damn they did do a good job. Crazy, scary good. Huh. They finally got something right." And walked out of the room.

I stood there in complete shock. I was expecting her to yell and scream about taking her life, but she was calm about it, and shrugged it off. Even the part of being with Altair. That was the part that got to me the most. Nothing could really faze her.

Ezio had told me in Alanna's defense that she had always been that way. It was the training from back then. To be detached from everything and not let them see you cry. You would think I would know that from walking in her life for as long as I did, but I guess I never got there.

I sat in the only spare bedroom left. A few pictures were laid out on the bed and I stared at them. They were photos of my real family. I was so absorbed looking at the pictures that I did not hear the knock on the door. "Hey, you want to get your head back into reality?"

My head shot up to see Alanna standing there, a smirk on her painted lips. "A…Alanna, I'm sorry. I was just trying to piece my old life together."

She waved me off and walked into the room. "Don't worry about it. Look, I wanted to talk to you. Walk with me."

"I don't think that such a good idea." I kept my eye on her. I knew how she was in the past and I knew she wouldn't hurt me, but this Alanna I was not sure about. I mean, I had been created to take over her life. I don't exactly know how she was feeling about that.

Chuckling, she grabbed my jacket off the back of the chair and threw it at me. "That was not a request, girl. Besides, I knew that you would have a problem with it, so Desmond had volunteered to go with us."

"Volunteered or told to?" I cocked a brow at her.

She sent a glare my way. "I asked, he agreed. Unless you want me to get Conner? Ezio and Altair are out for this chat."

Conner had not spoken to me since we came back from Abstergo four days ago. Actually, I had not seen him in that long. "Des is fine." I gulped and stood, pulling my jacket on.

"Good. I will meet you downstairs." With that, she turned and walked out the door. Desmond took that time to walk in.

"Don't worry, Sam. She's not going to eat you alive. If that was going to happen, you would already be dead. I really think she just wants to talk." He gave a smile. "I don't think she knows how to take you yet."

"I don't know how to take her either. I mean, looking at her is like looking in a mirror. A very real, very scary mirror." I pulled my hair into a ponytail. "I just don't know what she wants with me."

He waved me to follow and I did. "Sam, you are only looking at this from one side. Yours. You have to see that this has impacted her as well. She went to sleep in an Abstergo lab and woke up to find that someone else had taken over her life, and has been sleeping with her husband. She and Altair have always had a strange relationship. You know that." I nodded, only because I did. "Now, you are here and she knows nothing is going to be the same."

I understood what he was staying. "I know. It's just from my memories of her; I don't really remember her being this intense."

"The first time I met her, she threw a knife into a wall behind my head. She's a little on the hard side, I will give you that, but give it some time. She will warm up to you." He looked over his shoulder and offered a smile.

I chuckled. "So when did you start giving out advise?"

"It's the bartender in me. Bar top confessionals is what I used to call it. I was like a therapist, but without the pay." He grinned.

As we walked down stairs, I heard Alanna and Altair going at it. "You are not taking her from this house. Not alone." Altair growled at the woman.

"We will not be alone. Desmond is going with us. Your little clone will be safe for the time being. I am not going to hurt her." Alanna growled back. "I just need to get out of this house. I keep getting strange looks from everyone, and frankly, you give them to me too."

We stopped at the bottom of the stairs. They were nearly toe to toe. Both of them pissed. "I do not." He countered.

"Yes you do. You look at me like you don't know if I am me or her." She threw her hands in the air. "I mean, come on. I have been asleep for a long time, not dead." I heard her sigh. "Look, I just want to talk, nothing more. We will not leave the street and if something does happen, Des will be there to put an end to it. Fair enough?"

I could tell he was having a problem with this. I took that time to step into it. "I will be fine. I know she wouldn't hurt me, and Desmond won't let her. Besides, I can handle myself. You know that." I walked over and laid a hand on his arm, earning me a cold glare from Alanna.

He looked down at me. "Are you sure? I mean, I could go with you guys instead of Desmond."

I gave him a smile. "It will be fine. Like I said, I can handle myself. She is not the only one that kill someone in a few hits." I smirked at Alanna to show her I did not fear her, at least not on the outside. Inside was a whole different story.

Finally he relented. "Fine, but Alanna," He looked over at her, "if anything happens, you will be held responsible."

Her gray eyes became slits. "Perfectly."

**Alanna**

I walked down the street with Desmond behind us, and Samantha to my right. I was not crazy about her. For crying out loud she was created to be me, and she did a good job at that, besides being so damn sweet that it gave a toothache. Oh and don't get me started on the whole innocent thing! I couldn't hit her. That would be like striking a puppy, or a small child.

"You can get the idea out of your head that I am going to throttle you here on the street. He cares about you too much for me to do that." I looked straight ahead. "I think everyone cares about you more than me."

She looked at me wide eyed, like a small child. Would she stop that? I was starting to feel bad for being an ass towards her. "He?"

Could she really be this naïve? "Altair. I wouldn't hurt you because it would hurt him." I sighed. "Look Sam, I am taking off soon. I don't belong here, not anymore." And spun around and glared at Desmond. "And you tell anyone about this, I will personally string you up by your toes and use you as a piñata. Do you understand me, boy?"

He put his hands up in the air. "I won't breathe a word of it, but why?"

Two pairs of eyes were on me, and I looked down at the ground. "I don't fit in here anymore, alright. I don't know anyone, and in the same breath, they don't know me. Every time I walk into a room, it goes quiet and they just watch me. I think they believe I am the copy." It was the truth, at least to me. I was not the same person they knew. They thought I should be like Sam, and I could not be that way. Maybe at one time in my life I was, but not now. Not after everything had seen and done. The amount of blood on my hands was staggering. "That was why I did not want Ezio, Conner, or Altair here. They would put up a fight. I am telling you two this because I think you should know."

"What about Altair?" She asked.

I looked in her eyes and saw then and there that she loved him. "Samantha, you love him, and in return, he loves you. He is yours, not mine. As much as it pains me to say that, it is the truth."

"He loved me because he thought I was you." She countered, but I merely shook my head.

"No, he loves you for your innocence, something I lost long ago. I saw it in the way he looks at you. The way he talks to you. He has never been that gentle with me, except for when he first found me on the streets of Acre." I turned and began to walk because I did not want to them to see me cry.

I knew this was the best for everyone. Since my return, I was in the way. I did not know what was going on, or what had been happening. They had to explain everything to me, and I was tired of it. Best to be gone and not worry about it.

"'lanna, hey wait up." Desmond ran up next to me. "When do you plan this great escape?"

I was not going to tell him that. "A few days." Tonight. I was leaving tonight. I was not sitting around here and wait for someone to explode. Namely me.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

I slipped out with the cover of night. I grabbed my gear that they gave back to me. It had been worn by Samantha, but right now I didn't care. As quietly as I could, I slipped out the front door. I could make it far on foot and then I would hitch a ride back to the ranch. At least I knew that was still there. With my bag over my shoulder, a few bucks in my pocket, and my stuff, I began to walk down the street.

"Where are you heading off to?"

I stopped dead in my tracks. Altair had found me. "Leaving."

"And why are you doing that?" He asked as he walked out from between two cars. "I figured you would do something like this."

"I was hoping you would just let me go. It's the best for everyone." I moved past him, but he grabbed my arm, spinning me around. "Just let me go."

He looked down at me, and sighed. "Why do you think it's the best for everyone? Do you know what everyone is thinking?"

I met his eyes. "I am not one of them anymore. My place was taken by Samantha. They like her better, and frankly, I could care less."

"Bullshit. You would not be leaving if you did not care. You would make everyone's life miserable until they saw you for you. You are leaving for a completely different reason." His hand tightened on my arm, but not enough to hurt. Just enough to get his point across. "I know you better than you think, Alanna."

I jerked my arm away and glared at him. "How? How do you know me better, Altair? Since you have been shacked up with Samantha for the last two years. You didn't even notice it wasn't me! You say you know be better than everyone, but you could not even tell the difference between us!" My tears came, and I let them flow. I was hurt, betrayed and most of all, felt useless.

He just stared at me. I didn't think he could come back after something like that. I knew I couldn't, but I threw another one at him. "Maybe, just maybe, another few hundred years apart might do some good." And I took off in a dead run. I knew he would never catch me on his best day, and so I kept running. He called my name, but I did not stop.

I ran for what felt like hours, but when I stopped, and checked the time, it had only been a half hour. Collapsing on a park bench, I let my head fall into my hands, and wept. The Templars had taken everything from me. My freedom, my life, my family.

"Hey, are you alright?"

I looked up to see two teenage guys standing there, looking at me curiously. I wanted to snap at them, but I cleared my throat. "Yeah, just having a bad night. Thanks for asking though." I gave them a small smile and wiped my eyes. "Do you know when the next bus comes through?"

One of them checked his watch. "In about ten minutes. It will take you over by the airport."

"Thanks." I stood once more, ignoring the burning in my legs and walked onto the main street. But I wasn't surprised to see him standing there, leaned against a cherry red Charger. "Go away. I have nothing more to say to you." I continued past him and towards the bus bench.

"Suck up your pride and get in the damn car, Alanna." He called after me, but I just held up my hand and flipped him off over my shoulder. I heard him chuckle. "Real mature."

I turned around, but did not stop walking away. "You have told me that a million times, but I still don't care." I smiled at him.

"Just get in the car." He sighed. "Please?"

That got me to stop. "You are asking nicely for once? Who are you and what did you do the man I once knew?"

"Things changes, 'lanna, even me." He walked over to me, pulling off his jacket as he did. He wrapped it around my shoulders and held me there with it. "I want you to come back."

Breathing in the scent of him almost made me cave, but that was still an almost. "I can't go back there. That is not me anymore. That is not my world. You should go back to her. Be with her. She loves you, and I know you love her as well."

"Alanna I…" But I cut him off.

"Listen to me. I know you thought she was me, and the things I said back there were from pain. I have lost everything, Altair, but I know if I make you stay with me; it will only hurt worse for the two of us. You have to figure out what you want more. The real me, or the one you fell in love with." I was going to make myself cry again, but I would save it for later.

He leaned forward and rested his forehead against mine. "I thought you were dead. We all thought you were dead, but when we found her with no memories as to who she was, but had the same scars and look. I thought she was you. I thought I had you again."

Letting my eyes drift shut, I knew this was hard on him as well. "I know what you are saying, but you have to choose. Like I said. The real me, attitude and temper, or Samantha, soft and pretty much innocent." I removed myself from his arms. "You know where to find me when you figure things out."

Shaking his head, he looked at me. "No I don't."

I laughed. "Yes you do." And I took off his jacket, and handed it back to him. "Here, you need it more than I do right now."

"Keep it." He head up his hand.

Throwing caution to the wind, I took two steps forward, and kissed him for the final time. "_Je t'aime plus que la vie elle-même_."

"_Jusqu'à ce que nous sommes libérés de cette malédiction_." He whispered back.

I took that time to walk away. Not to look back.

**Je t'aime plus que la vie elle-même** – _I love you more than life itself_

**Jusqu'à ce que nous sommes libérés de cette malediction** – _Until we are freed from this curse_

**One last chapter and this will be completed. I wanted all the emotions that she was feeling come out towards him. Thank you everyone who has read this and stuck by me this whole time. I will be forever grateful.**


	35. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

My horse grazed close to me as I looked over the landscape. It had been fifteen years since I had left them. Fifteen years since I had last seen Altair. I stayed away from the mainstream, preferring the solidarity and the landscape of the ranch. I needed nothing from the outside world. A light breeze kicked up around me, and my hair blew around my shoulders. I pushed it back and sighed.

A light nicker sounded by my ear and I turned to see my horse, a black Arabian I named Dash, just a few feet from me. I pulled a few carrots from my pocket, and held out my hand. His nose raised and he delicately sniffed the air. He must have caught the scent of his favorite treat, because he came trotting over and gently took them from my hands.

Reaching out, I ran my hand down his velvety nose, marveling at the feel of his soft flesh. I would never grow tired of the feeling. He nuzzled my cheek, causing me to laugh. "You big baby." I laid a kiss on his muzzle, and stepped towards his side. "Are you ready to return home?"

He tossed his head up and snorted something I took for a yes. We had been out all day, and I think he was about as tired as I was.

Getting into the saddle, I gathered the reins, and gently guided him towards the house. The sun hung low in the western sky as I set across the vast plain that was my back yard. I had come back to this place when everything went south when I awoke from the coma the Templars had put me under. I did not have contact with anyone, nor did I want to. Conner has come by a few times. Once to bring me the Mustang that was at his house. I smiled when I saw she was fixed up, but frowned when I saw how many miles were on the motor. The second was to bring me two horses that he had been caring for. One was Altair's roan. It looked at me one time, and bared teeth.

I heard it call from the pasture it was in. To bring the horse in at night, I had to just open the barn door, and let it walk in from the paddock. It hated me, it hated Dash, and it hated anyone that moved. I took to calling it Demon. The other horse was a well-tempered filly that would come when you whistled.

I bent low over the stallion's neck and ran my hand down his neck. "How about some running, boy?" I smiled and let the reins loose. He knew what that meant, and did not hesitate to open into a full on gallop. I loved feeling the wind in my face as the horse poured out everything he had

The house was coming into view when I pulled back. He slowed to a walk and that was when I saw him, leaning against the hood of the Charger, looking in my direction. I brought Dash to a halt and jumped down from his back. Giving the horse a pat on the neck, I took his reins and walked into the yard.

He pushed off the car and met me half way. Dash bared his teeth at Altair, and snapped at him when he came too close. "What are you doing here?" I eyed him suspiciously.

"Came to see you." He answered and looked at Dash. "Your protector?"

"My baby." I ran my hand down the horse's muzzle. "Now, what are you doing here, and where is Samantha?" I kind of spit her name out like a bad taste. I really had nothing against her, but it was just my hurt feelings resurfacing again.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I really couldn't tell you. She and I kind of had a falling out a few years ago I guess you could say." Taking a step closer, Dash's head came over my shoulder at him, and he quickly stepped back. "Will you do something about him before he decides that I'm his dinner?"

I laughed and gave the black horse a push backwards. "Oh he doesn't like the taste of flesh. Not like your beast out back."

The horse snorted and nuzzled my back, but I could tell he was eyeing Altair in only a way a horse could. Turnabout is fair play, I mused. "What was the problem? She finally saw you were an ass?"

That earned me a glare. "No you evil she-devil of a woman. You know, you still are a mean ass bitch."

I smirked. "I know. Did you think I would change?"

"Thought maybe you would. At least dull down that attitude of yours. I can see that didn't happen."

Turning, I headed for the barn. "If you wanna talk, you're going to have to follow me to the barn to get him out of this tack and brushed down. He's not overly fond of staying in the saddle for too long."

Altair stayed out of strike range of the large animal's legs, because Dash kept trying to pull the reins out of my hands and get at him. I guess he did have good tastes. I was not overly fond of him just showing up here. I mean, if he was going to come back and try to work things out with me, I would have thought it would have been sooner than fifteen years.

"You're in an awfully bad mood. I thought you would've been happy to see me, or at least gave a better greeting then letting your horse almost take a chunk out of me." I could tell he was frowning from the tone of his voice. Like I really could care less.

"Yeah well, if you were so concerned about seeing me, you had fifteen years to do it between now and when I left. I came straight back here. Haven't left since." I led the large horse over towards his stall and began to unbuckle the light weight saddle. "So, how long has it been seen you broke up? You did try to stay with her, am I correct?" I turned long enough to give him a flat look, then pulled the saddle down and placed it on the rack.

He leaned against the wall and watched me. "Yes, I tried, but all I could see was you. The way she smiled and in everything she did. You were the one that I wanted and it took me awhile to understand that. She may have been created to be you, but would never equal you."

"I will take that as a compliment." I grinned and slid the bridle off of Dash and began to brush him down. Turning my head long enough to look at him, I asked, "Her family didn't like you, did they?"

That got a grin. "No ma'am they did not."

We both broke into laughter. It was nice to hear him laugh again. Setting the brush down, I put Dash in his stall and gave him some feed. "If it makes you feel any better, my parents would've hated you as well."

He smiled, and shook his head. "Not really, but I understand."

After I finished my task and secured the stall door, I walked over to him, and wrapped my arms around him. "It's good to see you though. I guess I'm still not over the fact that she came between us."

He hugged me back, and I breathed in his scent. It was something I missed more than anything in the world. "I know. That was why I didn't lash out at you, but I was being truthful when I said I could think of nothing but you when I was with her."

I chuckled into his chest. "Come on. I will at least make you a sandwich and some coffee for dealing with me." I backed up, but he grabbed my arm, spun me around and pushed me into a wall. I heard Dash start getting angry, pawing at the ground and hitting the wall. "I would let me go before that horse comes through the stall door and gets your ass. He does not play around when it comes to me."

"Screw that horse." He smirked and his lips slammed down on mine. I was so not prepared for that. My eyes grew wide and I was frozen in place. Yeah, I was so not ready for this.

He pulled back and all I could do was blink at him. He had a shit eating grin on his face, and as much as I wanted to smack it off of him, I couldn't. I was probably looking really stupid at that point in time.

"Well, if I knew that would shut you up and put in a stupor, I would have done that when I first saw you." That smirk again. I just wanted to throttle him, but then I thought about that kiss. Yeah, I so couldn't.

Clearing my throat, I tried to play it off, but I knew as soon as my mouth opened it was not the way I had hoped. "That was nice.' And I squeaked. I did not just do that! I just squeaked!

Altair just started to laugh his head off. I scowled and marched past him. "Alanna wait up!" He called through the laughter. He caught me outside. "I didn't mean to piss you off again. It was cute that I had you that stunned."

I turned, and punched him in the shoulder. He grabbed it, but there was still a grin on his face. "You're still an ass." My face softened and I smiled. "But I would not have you any other way." And I grabbed the front of his shirt and kissed him back.

**I want to thank everyone for reading this. I have another story in the works, but I don't know when I will post it. No, it will not have Alanna in it. That ship has sailed and I have it out of my system. I am toying with a few ideas, but nothing concrete. See ya later!**

_*Sassiersphinx*_


End file.
